Same-sex couples that live together report worse health than
people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual
marriages, according to a national study that could have
implications for the gay marriage debate. Research has shown
that married people are healthier than the unmarried. Yet, while
gay marriage is gaining support in Michigan and around the
country, most same-sex cohabiters do not have the option of
legally marrying their partners, noted Hui Liu, Michigan State
University sociologist and lead investigator on the study. While
Liu’s research does not directly assess the potential health
consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage, she said it’s
plausible that allowing same-sex couples to legally wed could
improve their health. “Legalizing same-sex marriage,” Liu said,
“could provide the benefits associated with marriage -- such as
partner health-insurance benefits and increased social and
psychological support -- which may directly and indirectly
influence the health of people in same-s