title: Defining life partnerships: does sexual orientation matter?
abstract: This study compared the responses of gay men, lesbians, heterosexual men, and heterosexual women to a number of questions investigating the needs and tensions in life partnerships between two individuals. Overall, the groups had similar attitudes toward life partnerships. Nearly all respondents found great meaning in the idea of life partnership, the pursuits of psychological and physical intimacy and the importance of family and social support, and all three of these categories were actually considered more important than the ability to marry legally. Respondents recognized that having children may encourage commitment to life partnerships, though this was less influential for gay men. A significant percentage of respondents, regarding HIV status, either had no opinion or felt that HIV was not particularly or not at all threatening to life partnerships. Men and women, regardless of sexual orientation, appear to experience similar needs and aspirations regarding life partnerships.
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, USA. tklinemd@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martz
authors.forename: C Jason
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lesperance
authors.forename: Merilyne C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Waldo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires