September 19, 2016

Youth Health Survey Finds Gay/Bi Teens At High Risk

READ TIME: 2 MIN.

By Eric Brus

Sexual minority youth have substantially higher rates of behavioral health risks compared to heterosexual youth, according to a report from CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. The report,�Sexual Identity, Sex of Sexual Contacts, and Health-Related Behaviors Among Students in Grades 9-12 -- United States and Selected Sites, 2015, analyzes data gathered through national, state, and urban-area Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBSs) for 2015.

For the first time, the 2015 YRBSs included questions to ascertain the sexual identity and the sex of sexual contacts for the students surveyed. This made it possible for researchers to calculate the prevalence of specific risk behaviors among lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth compared to heterosexual youth.

The researchers found that sexual minority youth had a comparatively high prevalence of health risks in the risk categories of sexual behavior, violence, tobacco use, and drug use:

  • Of six sexual risk behaviors surveyed nationally, the prevalence of five was higher among sexual minority youth than among heterosexual youth.
  • Of 18 violence-related risk behaviors surveyed nationally, the prevalence of 16 was higher among sexual minority youth than among heterosexual youth.
  • Similarly, across 13 tobacco use-related risk behaviors, the prevalence of 11 was higher among sexual minority youth than among heterosexual youth.
  • In addition, of 19 alcohol or other drug use-related risk behaviors, the prevalence of 18 was higher among sexual minority youth than among heterosexual youth.

    The researchers concluded that, "To reduce the disparities in health-related behaviors experienced by sexual minority students, it is important to use this and other reports based on scientifically sound data to raise awareness about the prevalence of priority health-related behaviors among sexual minority students in grades 9-12 among policy makers, the public, and a wide variety of agencies and organizations that work with youth. These agencies and organizations, including schools and youth-friendly health care providers, can help facilitate access to education, health care, and evidence-based interventions designed to address priority health-related behaviors among sexual minority youth."

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