LGBTQ people experience intimate partner violence at higher rates than the general population. Thirty two point six percent of bisexual women report lifetime victimization. Jurisdictions that added sexual orientation and gender identity questions to intake forms recorded a 13 percent increase in use of inclusive services while many survivors still face repeated retellings of their experiences and major financial losses.
Key Takeaways
- 13% increase in reported utilization of LGBTQ+ inclusive IPV services in jurisdictions that implemented SOGI-inclusive intake (2021 evaluation)
- 6.8% of U.S. adults reported that they experienced IPV; LGBTQ+ respondents reported higher rates in BRFSS-based analyses (2017)
- 38 states and the District of Columbia have laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity in domestic/relationship violence statutes (2022 survey)
- 7.4% of heterosexual men reported experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime
- 4.3% of adults in the U.S. reported having been victims of intimate partner violence in the past 12 months (2016 data)
- 18.5% of lesbian women and 32.6% of bisexual women in the U.S. reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lives (2015 data)
- 24% of survivors reported being forced to relocate due to IPV, creating additional housing costs (U.S. survey results)
- 18% of IPV survivors reported losing retirement savings or benefits due to abuse (U.S. study)
- 19% of survivors reported IPV-related job loss or work disruption (U.S. survey results)
- 44% of transgender respondents reported that they did not know where to find information or services related to violence
- 1 in 6 U.S. adults (16.0%) reported that they personally experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime (2015 data from NSDUH)
- 26% of LGBTQ survivors reported they had to repeat their story multiple times to get services
LGBTQ+ inclusive IPV services and SOGI intake boost access, but many survivors still face unmet safety needs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Policy Of Service Provision8 stats
01
13% increase in reported utilization of LGBTQ+ inclusive IPV services in jurisdictions that implemented SOGI-inclusive intake (2021 evaluation)
02
6.8% of U.S. adults reported that they experienced IPV; LGBTQ+ respondents reported higher rates in BRFSS-based analyses (2017)
03
38 states and the District of Columbia have laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity in domestic/relationship violence statutes (2022 survey)
04
46 states have batterer intervention programs that allow assessments for LGBT-specific risk factors (2019 national survey)
05
$1.8 billion total funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs in federal fiscal year 2024 (appropriations)
06
1,300 advocates trained on LGBTQ IPV best practices by the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (2018)
07
61% of U.S. healthcare facilities reported having some form of LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policy relevant to patient intake (2019 survey)
08
27 states require SOGI data collection in some health or vital records contexts (2022 policy inventory)
Interpretation
Policy Of Service Provision Interpretation
In the policy of service provision, jurisdictions that implemented SOGI-inclusive intake saw a 13% increase in reported use of LGBTQ+ inclusive IPV services in 2021, reinforcing that practical intake and service-design changes can measurably improve access.
02 · Category
Prevalence Rates3 stats
01
7.4% of heterosexual men reported experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime
02
4.3% of adults in the U.S. reported having been victims of intimate partner violence in the past 12 months (2016 data)
03
18.5% of lesbian women and 32.6% of bisexual women in the U.S. reported experiencing intimate partner violence at some point in their lives (2015 data)
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
In the prevalence rates category, IPV is substantially more common for sexual minorities than for heterosexual men, with 32.6% of bisexual women and 18.5% of lesbian women reporting lifetime intimate partner violence compared with 7.4% of heterosexual men and 4.3% of U.S. adults experiencing it in the past 12 months.
More related reading
03 · Category
Economic Costs7 stats
01
24% of survivors reported being forced to relocate due to IPV, creating additional housing costs (U.S. survey results)
02
18% of IPV survivors reported losing retirement savings or benefits due to abuse (U.S. study)
03
19% of survivors reported IPV-related job loss or work disruption (U.S. survey results)
04
15% of surveyed LGBTQ+ victims reported using self-funded resources to access safety services due to lack of coverage (2019 survey)
05
$2.5 million annual grant funding gap for IPV services serving LGBTQ+ communities in a large U.S. metropolitan area (2021 nonprofit budget analysis)
06
14% of IPV survivors reported that IPV contributed to debt or credit issues (U.S. study)
07
$2,500average cost for legal expenses related to obtaining protective orders due to IPV (U.S. court-cost survey)
Interpretation
Economic Costs Interpretation
Economic abuse in LGBTQ+ intimate partner violence shows up as real financial strain, with 24% of survivors forced to relocate, 19% losing work, and 18% draining retirement savings, all pointing to how IPV drives cascading costs across housing, employment, and long term economic security.
04 · Category
Barriers To Help Seeking3 stats
01
44% of transgender respondents reported that they did not know where to find information or services related to violence
02
1 in 6 U.S. adults (16.0%) reported that they personally experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime (2015 data from NSDUH)
03
26% of LGBTQ survivors reported they had to repeat their story multiple times to get services
Interpretation
Barriers To Help Seeking Interpretation
With 44% of transgender respondents saying they do not know where to find information or services and 26% of LGBTQ survivors having to repeat their story multiple times, the data shows that barriers to help seeking are a major reason survivors struggle to get support even when intimate partner violence is widespread, affecting 16.0% of US adults over their lifetime.
report visual · Key figures
LGBTQ+ IPV access and risk visibility varies by policy and identity
Higher rates and improved access reporting align with more inclusive policies, while gaps remain for many survivors.
6.8%
6.8% of U.S. adults reported that they experienced IPV; LGBTQ+ respondents reported higher rates in BRFSS-based analyses
61%
61% of U.S. healthcare facilities reported having some form of LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policy relevant to patie
13%
13% increase in reported utilization of LGBTQ+ inclusive IPV services in jurisdictions that implemented SOGI-inclusive i
44%
44% of transgender respondents reported that they did not know where to find information or services related to violence
26%
26% of LGBTQ survivors reported they had to repeat their story multiple times to get services
source-verifiedcdc.gov · hrc.org · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · transequality.org · americanbar.org2021
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Lgbt Intimate Partner Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lgbt-intimate-partner-violence-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Lgbt Intimate Partner Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/lgbt-intimate-partner-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Lgbt Intimate Partner Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/lgbt-intimate-partner-violence-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)