Evidence of Syndemics and Sexuality-Related Discrimination Among Young Sexual-Minority Women

Abstract

Syndemics appear to be present and associated with sexual-orientation discrimination among young sexual-minority women. Interventions aimed at reducing discrimination or increasing healthy coping may help reduce substance use, depressive symptoms, and sexual risk behaviors in this population.

Alcohol research with transgender populations: A systematic review and recommendations to strengthen future studies

“…More recently, the 2015 US Transgender Survey, the largest assessment of transgender health status and needs to date, found a high prevalence of binge drinking overall, with binge drinking levels much higher in transgender communities of color than in white non-Hispanic peers (James et al, 2016). Those results were congruent with several observational studies with smaller samples of transgender participants that also found a high prevalence of binge drinking (Coulter et al, 2015b; Keuroghlian et al, 2015; Scheim et al, 2016) as well as alcohol use disorder (Keuroghlian et al, 2015; Reisner et al, 2016). We caution that these findings should be interpreted in light of contextual factors.…”

Sexual‐orientation differences in alcohol use trajectories and disorders in emerging adulthood: results from a longitudinal cohort study in the United States

“…Social ecological factors may be determinants of sexual‐orientation disparities in AUTs and AUDs. Prior research shows that minority stress—internalized, interpersonal or structural stigma—may influence sexual‐orientation disparities in alcohol use and disorders . For example, sexual‐minority populations face chronic and acute stressors because of their minority sexual orientation, which can lead to drinking as a coping mechanism .…”

“…Support for this hypothesis would suggest that interventions reducing sexual‐orientation differences in AUTs may also decrease differences in AUDs. Additionally, theory and prior literature suggest that minority stressors and social stigma related to minority sexual orientations are contributors to elevated alcohol use and AUDs among sexual‐minority populations .…”

Addressing gaps on risk and resilience factors for alcohol use outcomes in sexual and gender minority populations

“…Originally developed to explain the disproportionately high HIV burden among MSM through concurrent epidemics of substance use, violence and victimisation, its application to other populations has been limited. Among recent notable work, Brennan and colleagues used it as the organising framework for their analysis of HIV risk among transgender women, and Coulter et al found evidence to support a Syndemic Theory model of substance use and risky sexual behaviour among sexual minority women. Attending to sexual minority women, Johnson and Nemeth used grounded theory methods to produce a conceptual model of health service utilisation among lesbian and bisexual women that may be relevant for substance abuse treatment.…”