Violence Against LGB+ people in Brazil: analysis of the 2019 National Survey of Health

ABSTRACT

Objective:  To analyze the association between self-reported sexual orientation and violence in the Brazilian population.

Methods:  This cross-sectional epidemiological study used the 2019 National Survey of Health database. Total violence and its subtypes (psychological, physical, and sexual) were analyzed in the previous 12 months. Prevalence and odds ratio adjusted for age group were estimated, with their respective 95% confidence intervals, according to the self-reported sexual orientation of the Brazilian population aged 18 years and older. Statistical significance was set at 5%.

Results:  Most of the Brazilian population self-identified as heterosexual (94.75%) and 1.89% as LGB+. This percentage was lower than that of respondents who refused to answer the question (2.28%). The prevalence of violence in the general population of Brazil was 18.27%, and the most common subtype was psychological violence (17.36%). The LGB+ population was more than twice as likely to experience any type of violence. LGB+ women had the highest prevalence in all violence subtypes, and heterosexual men had the lowest. LGB+ women were over three times more likely to experience physical violence compared to heterosexual ones. Meanwhile, the probability of LGB+ men experiencing sexual violence was almost eight times higher than in heterosexual men.

Conclusion:  The prevalence of violence against the LGB+ population was high in the country. Public policies aimed at this population are necessary to fight discrimination against sexual diversity and ensure the rights of non-heterosexual people.

Keywords:
Sexual and gender minorities; Sexism; Gender-based violence; Health surveys