It’s not often that we see societal and cultural change happen in real time, yet, across Australia, particularly within the HIV response, we are seeing a shift within community health organisations and government, to embrace bisexuality and respond to the historically neglected needs of bisexual people. This is not by chance and is the result of community mobilization and relentless community advocacy to demand a more equitable HIV and community health response.
This shift comes at a crucial time for the community with 2026 being the first time in Australia’s history that bisexual people will have the ability to have their sexual identity seen and counted as part of the Australian census. To date there has been limited ways to determine exactly how many bi+ people reside in Australia. These data, along with other contemporary have already begun supporting the advance in conversations within Australia’s HIV and community health space about the importance of tailored health services that centre the needs of bi+ people in Australia.
When also know that the bisexual community in Australia is growing. In a recent LGBTQ youth health survey run by La Trobe called “Writing Themselves in 4” we saw that of 6,418 valid participants, almost half (45.0%) identified as multigender attracted and (33.8%) identified as bisexual. US data from Gallup showing that 60% of the LGBTIQ+ community identify as bi+ and unreleased data from the ASHR3 study (the most accurate, up-to-date data on bisexuality in Australia) reveal higher rates of bisexuality in Australia than even those of Gallup. Data from Gallup alone has shown that within the adult population in the US people identifying as bi+ has tripled in per generation. We anticipate this news to be reported on heavily as we move into 2025.
This embracing of bisexuality has led to a range of new and exciting work, being led by bi+ people at its centre and comes at a critical time in both the HIV response within Australia but also the increasing growth and visibility of Australia’s bisexual community.
Whilst these data are important and have and will no doubt impact the fight for health equity for Australia’s bisexual community, it’s important to acknowledge the historic challenges that, to date, our community face.
For decades, bi+ people have faced erasure and invisibility, and have consistently experienced some of the worst social and health outcomes within the LGBTIQ+ community. Years of research reveal poorer outcomes across almost every metric when compared to gay/lesbian and heterosexual people, putting to rest the false notion that bi+ people experience privilege or have the ‘best of both worlds,’ the fact is, bi+ people have the worst of both worlds – a myth unfortunately still perpetuated within community.
Some primary examples of these inequities include:
- bi+ people experiencing worse mental health.
- Report higher rates of HIV stigma
- Are less informed about HIV prevention.
- Experience higher rates of intimate partner violence.
- Report low levels of community connectedness alongside high levels of loneliness, when compared to gay, lesbian, and heterosexual people.
And these are only a select few of the captured experiences of bisexual people. Often the experiences of bisexual people are made invisible or silenced, hidden within data of larger cohorts such as ‘MSM’ (men who have sex with men) or ‘LGBTIQ+ people’. When you tease these data out, the state of bi+ peoples’ health and wellbeing is revealed, and the scale of the need is vast.
Australian success stories
These significant challenges require tailored solutions, thankfully I’m able to report that Australia’s LGBTIQ+ community health and HIV sectors in more recent times have shown world-leading determination to address these inequities with the lessons learnt over four decades of delivering exceptional support.
Within the last 12 months alone we have seen some incredible work being done such as;
- The GBQ+ Periodic Survey which has become a world-leading example of bi+ inclusion in research into what we used to refer to as men who have sex with men.
- The Bi+ Sexual Health and HIV Needs Study (BiSHH) from the Kirby Institute is Australia’s first ever national survey on bi+ sexual health and has been developed as the pinnacle of bi+ community collaboration in research.
- Initiatives such as the Bi+ Positive Advocacy Network (BiPAN) – a NAPWHA National Network, is the world’s first national-level advocacy body representing bi+ people living with HIV.
- HIV Online Learning Australia (HOLA) delivered its first ever bi+ webinar for the HIV workforce, increasing the literacy of bi+ experiences across all levels of the workforce. We are seeing across the board more meaningful inclusion of bi+ people and the understanding of this cohort’s unique needs and experiences.
We have much to be proud of as we move beyond business-as-usual and take seriously the prioritisation of the bi+ community, its health, and how this impacts the Australian HIV response. In an upcoming essay, we will take a deeper dive into the innovate ways the Australian HIV sector is leading in meeting the bi+ moment.