Effects of Access to Legal Same-Sex Marriage on Marriage and Health

Abstract

We provide the first comprehensive evidence on the effects of access to legal same-sex marriage (SSM) on marriage and adult health using the full rollout of marriage equality across the United States. Using data from the CDC BRFSS from 2000 to 2017, we relate changes in outcomes for individuals in same-sex households (SSH) coincident with adoption of legal SSM in two-way fixed effects models. A substantial share of these households includes gay and lesbian couples. For men in SSH, we find robust evidence that access to legal SSM significantly increased marriage take-up, health insurance coverage, access to care, and healthcare utilization. Results for women in SSH are inconclusive apart from a clear increase in marriage take-up. Our results provide the first evidence that legal access to SSM significantly improved health for adult gay men.