Differences in the prevalence of risk behaviors between heterosexual and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning (LGBQ) female adolescents in the juvenile justice system

Abstract

Little is known about the behavioral risk factors for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among female youths who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning (LGBQ) and who are involved in the juvenile justice system. We examined the sexual and drug use risk profiles of heterosexual and LGBQ female adolescents in the justice system. Greater prevalence of alcohol and substance use was found among female LGBQ adolescents compared to their female heterosexual counterparts. Conversely, female LGBQ youths reported more consistent condom use for both vaginal and anal sex compared to heterosexual females. These data may be useful in tailoring interventions for justiceinvolved LGBQ youths.

APA Multicultural Guidelines executive summary: Ecological approach to context, identity, and intersectionality.

“…For example, how can barriers to health care resulting from safety and other socioenvironmental factors be minimized for those with mobility impairments? Although rarely studied, higher levels of depressive symptomatology have also been reported in low-income areas (e.g., Diez Roux & Mair, 2010), as has the disproportionate numbers of LGBTQ+ youth in the juvenile justice system (e.g., Allen, Ruiz, & O’Rourke, 2016).…”

Substance Use and HIV Among Justice-Involved Youth: Intersecting Risks

“…Findings suggest that, among any justice-involved youth, substance use confers enhanced risk for engaging in HIV-risk related behaviors. Many studies used global measures of substance use, collapsing drug use into one broad category [38,52,57,60,61]. Studies have found that drug use (e.g., marijuana and other drugs) is associated with unprotected sex (e.g., inconsistent condom use), number of sexual partners, drug use during sexual activity and increased rates of STIs [49,51,58].…”