Study: Children of same-sex parents see outcomes as good or better than heterosexual couples

Children of same-sex couples fare as well as children of heterosexual couples. In some cases, they may fare better. That was the finding of research published in the current issue of BMJ Global Health by researchers from the US and China. It was based on an analysis of 34 studies from countries where same-sex marriage is legal.

The researchers concluded: "Most of the family outcomes are similar between sexual minority and heterosexual families, and sexual minority families have even better outcomes in some domains. Relevant social risk factors of poor family outcomes included stigma and discrimination, poor social support and marital status, etc. The next step is to integrate multiple aspects of support and multilevel interventions to reduce the adverse effects on family outcomes with a long-term goal of influencing policy and law-making for better services to individuals, families, communities, and schools."

This research can be found online: "Family outcome disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual families: a systematic review and meta-analysis" 1 february 2023 Online at gh.bmj.com