Why Shacking Up Is Good For Your Health

Partnering up is good for health, and apparently that crosses sexual orientation lines. A recent Danish study found the death rate for gay men in domestic partnerships and marriages has decreased since 1996 and is now lower than that of divorced or unmarried heterosexual men. The study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, covered the death rates of 6.5 million Danish adults from 1982 to 2011.

“Among men in Denmark, it is more dangerous to be unmarried or divorced than to be married to another man,” said Morten Frisch, the lead author of the study.

Aside from the psychological support spouses provide, which typically translates to better physical health, the scientists believe advances in HIV treatment have also increased the life expectancy of some partnered gay men.