The Health and Health Care of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents

Abstract

Adolescents face a variety of challenges in their transition to adulthood; lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents face these typical challenges as well as additional challenges that are related to the social stigma of their sexual orientation. For some lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents, this stigma may induce psychosocial stress, leading to increased health risk behaviors and poorer health outcomes. In this article, we review data on the health and health care of LGB adolescents. We examine health indicators and health risks for LGB youth, including substance use, eating disorders, suicidality, risky sexual behaviors, violence exposure and victimization, and homelessness. We also examine health care provision and utilization for LGB youth. Lastly, we discuss ways in which researchers and clinicians can improve LGB adolescent health and health care.

Population-level evaluation of school-based interventions to prevent problem substance use among gay, lesbian and bisexual adolescents in Canada

“…Sexual minority youth disproportionally experience mental health problems compared to heterosexual peers, including depressive symptoms (Almeida et al, 2009;Marshal et al, 2011) and higher rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts (Coker et al, 2010;Saewyc, 2011). For example, a meta-analysis documented that sexual minority youth were almost three times more likely than heterosexual youth to have attempted suicide .…”

“…Stress from stigma, discrimination, rejection and overt hostility may lead sexual minority youth to use alcohol or drugs to cope with their distress. In fact, studies have found significantly higher risk for substance use (Coker et al, 2010;Saewyc, 2011), with the odds of using tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs among sexual minority adolescents, on average, 190% higher than among heterosexual adolescents (Marshal et al, 2008).…”

Adolescent and Young Adult Male Health: A Review

“…Most sexual minority and gender nonconforming males have heard homophobic comments at school and/or felt unsafe at school; many report being threatened with a weapon orattacked at school. 33,34 Together these findings support screening adolescent males, particularly gender nonconforming and sexual minority males, for relationship and gender-related violence.…”

“…These guidelines are supplemented by social science research on development, focusing on the transitions inherent in adolescence, and on gender, focusing on the role of masculinity in health access and health status across the CDC' s critical health objectives. Reduce motor vehicle crash-related deaths IVP- 19 Reduce homicides IVP- 34 Reduce physical fighting among adolescents IVP- 35 Reduce bullying among adolescents MHMS-1…”

“…Sexual orientation is a multidimensional concept referring to an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions to females, males, or both sexes. 34 Sexual identity is an individual' s conception of his own sexuality and may not always be congruent with his sexual orientation or sexual behavior. 34 Current best estimates of sexual orientation in youth are 3% of males identify as homosexual or bisexual and 2% report samesex sexual attractions.…”