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A Canadian study has found that lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers have a higher risk of pregnancy, sexual abuse and harassment than heterosexual teenagers.

The study, conducted by the University of British Columbia, found that lesbian teenagers were statistically more likely to become pregnant than straight teens.

In 1992, lesbian teenager pregnancy rates were 7%, compared to 2% for heterosexual teenagers. In 2003 the pregnancy figures were 3% for lesbian teenagers and 1% for heterosexual teens.

The higher pregnancy rate for lesbian teenagers is thought to be linked to the higher incidents of sexual abuse and harassment for LGB teenagers.

Lesbian teenagers are more likely to be in engaged in higher risk activities which lead to pregnancy, such as lack of condom use and engaging in sex before the age of 14. These activities are linked to incidents of sexual abuse.

Pregnant lesbian and bisexual teens were twice as likely to have experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation. They also reported more kinds of harassment at school than lesbian or bisexual teens who hadn’t been pregnant.

“Teen pregnancy is declining, but the risk is still higher for LGB youth,” says Elizabeth Saewyc, an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at UBC and Research Director at the McCreary Centre Society. “These results are linked to higher rates of discrimination and harassment among LGB teens at school.”

“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 Saewyc. “But sexual violence is linked to pregnancy for all teens, so interventions to reduce sexual harassment and sexual violence in adolescent relationships can have a positive effect for teens of every orientation.”

“This issue is not unique to British Columbia,” adds Saewyc. “Population studies in other countries have also documented higher rates of teen pregnancy among sexual minority youth. We expect other provinces in Canada would report similar results if they conducted similar surveys.”

British Columbia is the only province in Canada that tracks trends in sexual health for both LGB youth and heterosexual teens.

Posted in: Campaigns & Politics, Health |