name of presenter title location date

1. name of presentertitlelocationdate A Case for Adding Questions Regarding Sexual Minority Youth to the State and Local Youth Risk Behavior Surveys

2. Some of the Diverse Youth in Schools Today Studious transgenderband member Flamboyant cross dresser Lesbian cheerleader Out and proud gay athlete Confused introvert Straight but willing to experiment Sensitive bisexual

3. But What Do We Monitor in This “Invisible Minority”? Studious transgenderband member Flamboyant cross dresser Lesbian cheerleader Out and proud gay athlete Confused introvert Straight but willing to experiment Sensitive bisexual

4. Why Should We Be Concerned About Sexual Minority Youth? • Most sexual minority youth are healthy individuals who make positive contributions to their families, schools and communities • But for a variety of reasons, many experience damaging chronic stress • Chronic stress can cause psychological harm and lead to school dropout and other health risk behaviors • suicide attempts • sexual activity without protection • use of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances • eating disorders

5. Who Is Considered Sexual Minority? • Anyone who does not conform to the heterosexual norm, such as youth who: • self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender • engage in same-sex sexual behavior (though many identify as straight) • are confused or uncertain because they feel some same-sex attraction • do not conform to society’s expectations for appropriate gender expression

6. 12 States and 6 Districts Have Sexual Minority Questions on the 2009 YRBS Boston Milwaukee New York City Chicago San Francisco Los Angeles YRBS includes question(s) about: Same-sex sexual behavior (3 SEAs, 1 LEA) LGB identity (2 SEAs, 1 LEA) Both behavior and identity (6 SEAs, 4 LEAs) Same-sex attraction (1 SEA)

7. Percent Reporting Sexual Minority Status on the 2007 Mass. YRBS 5% of high school students (all races/ethnicities) described them-selves as gay, lesbian, or bisexual 7% of students reported any same- sex sexual contact in their lifetime In all, 9% of students were “sexual minority” (either self-identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual or reported any same-sex sexual contact) LGB identity Sexualminority Same-sex sexual contact Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey More than half did not identify as LGB Nearly half did not report same-sex sexual contact

8. Hypothesis: Minority Stress Theory as Applied to LGBTQ People • Many LGBTQ people have greater rates of mental health problems because, in addition to life’s general stresses, they experience additional stressors of: • stigma, discrimination, and victimization • expectations of rejection • concealment of self • internalized homophobia • These stresses can lead to social isolation, shame, low self-worth, hopelessness, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide risk Ilan H. Meyer, Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence, Psychological Bulletin, 2003, 129:5;674–697

9. Selected Health Risks of High School Students, USA and MA, 2007Grades 9-12, both sexes, and all race/ethnicities Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

10. Selected Health Risks of High School Students, USA and MA, 2007Grades 9-12, both sexes, and all race/ethnicities n/a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

11. Multiple Minority Status Can Be Particularly Stressful Will the gay community accept a person of color? Will my family and friends accept me? Church is very important to me I want to raise kids Older gays seem so sad and lonely Will I be called names or get beat up? Is a happy life even possible?

12. Number of Adolescents Aged 15–19 YearsDiagnosed with HIV or AIDS in 2006 by Sex, Race/Ethnicity, and Mode of HIV Transmission in 33 States and 5 U.S. Territories with Confidential Name-Based HIV-Infection Reporting Total number diagnosed in 2006 = 1,351 “Other” is not shown (N=15) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons Aged 10–24 Years—United States, 2002–2007.” MMWR Surveillance Summaries, July 17, 2009; 58(No.SS-6), Table 16. www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5806a1.htm

13. Cases of HIV and AIDS Diagnosed Among Young Men Ages 15-19 (All Sexual Orientations), by Race/Ethnicity and Year of Diagnosis, 2004–2007in 39 Areas with Confidential, Name-Based HIV Infection Reporting1 US Male Population Ages 15-19, 20062 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV/AIDS Surveillance Supplemental Report 2009;14:2 2 US Census, 2006 American Community Survey.

14. The Value of Collecting Information on Sexual Minority Youth • The essential purpose of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey is to identify, measure, and monitor major risk behaviors • Reliable information about health and education risk factors of sexual minority youth can be used to: • more efficiently deploy scarce resources • secure additional resources • train educators to be alert to emerging problems • intervene early, when it makes a difference • monitor program success over time

15. Good Reasons to Not Collect Data on Sexual Minority Youth

16. Thank You This presentation was supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Cooperative Agreement U58DP000440. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the American Psychological Association, CDC, or the US Department of Health and Human Services.