US ob-gyns endorse same-sex marriage

Michael Cook
24 Aug 2013
Reproduced with Permission
BioEdge

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) officially endorsed same-sex marriage this week. Although it touched upon the human rights dimension of the debate, its main argument is that legalizing gay marriage would help women's health.

"We know that access to health care and the health of women and their families is tied to financial security. Marriage helps provide this financial security for many women, regardless of sexual orientation," says Jeanne A. Conry, ACOG president. Some of these financial protections include access to Social Security benefits and rights to shared property.

In addition to providing financial security, she declared, same-sex marriage has other important health benefits: lower levels of stress in states where it is legal and fewer mental health and substance abuse disorders. There was no mention of the health benefits of same-sex marriage for men.

Top