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Gay and lesbian youth more likely to get pregnant
HEALTH / New UBC study suggests gay youth try to act straight for 'camouflage'
A
new University of BC study says gay, lesbian and bisexual teens face
higher pregnancy rates than their straight counterparts due in part to
the stigma and discrimination many of them face.
As a result, researchers are calling for schools to be made safer for not only gay youth but for all youth.
"Reducing the levels of stigma, harassment, and sexual violence that
LGB youth face, and creating safer, more supportive schools for LGB
youth is a key step," says study author Elizabeth Saewyc, a UBC School
of Nursing associate professor.
The study says pregnant lesbian and bisexual teens are twice as likely
to have experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation
than their straight counterparts.
To avoid such discrimination, some gay and lesbian youth may engage in
heterosexual dating and sex and try to act straight as a form of
"camouflage" to avoid being identified as gay, the report suggests.
The report also points to other possible explanations for the higher pregnancy rates, such as sexual violence.
"But sexual violence is linked to pregnancy for all teens," Saewyc
notes, "so interventions to reduce sexual harassment and sexual
violence in adolescent relationships can have a positive effect for
teens of every orientation."
Saewyc's findings are being supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
Dr Joy Johnson, scientific director for the CIHR's Institute of Gender
and Health, says the work underscores the health threats that gay youth
face at school.
"More must be done to protect the health of all youth," she says.
"Teen pregnancy is declining, but the risk is still higher for LGB
youth," adds Saewyc. "These results are linked to higher rates of
discrimination and harassment among LGB teens at school. This issue is
not unique to BC."
Population studies in other countries have also documented higher rates
of teen pregnancy among sexual minority youth, Saewyc notes.
"We expect other provinces in Canada would report similar results if they conducted similar surveys," she adds.
The study, released Dec 16 in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, is based on the BC Adolescent Health Survey.
The survey is conducted every five or six years in school districts across the province by the McCreary Centre Society.
It includes questions about sexual health and risk behaviours, as well as questions about sexual orientation.
BC is the only province that tracks trends in sexual health for both lesbian, gay and bisexual youth and heterosexual teens.
posted on Dec 17, 2008 4:32 PM ()
Same here,did not hear about this happening.
'let them worry enough about their own life!!!! ' That's easy to say as an adult but as a teenager 'peers' are very cruel--that's why so many teens commit suicide and adults don't care enough to do something about it!!
DUH!!! Oh, I don't want people to think I'm a lesbian!! I will just let my guy friend Johnny knock me up and really ruin my life!!! I have students who have actually done this - for this reason. Like why care what someone else thinks about your own life - let them worry enough about their own life!!!!
Ouch! That is rough. Thanks for posting this. I had not heard about this.
AJ
AJ
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