This section of the website documents some health reports on LGBT+ youth and what health issues they are experiencing subjectively and statistically. Many studies that have been done in this area in North America are from the United States and therefore these have been included.

Some statistics that you will find in these reports are:

LGBT+ youth are two times as likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol (Human Rights Campaign. (2013). Growing Up LGBT in America: HRC Youth Survey Report Key Findings. Washington, D.C. [“Growing up LGBT in America”]).

Every time a LGBT+ youth is exposed to verbal or physical harassment their risk of self-harm increases by two and half times (CDC. (2011). Sexual Identity, Sex of Sexual Contacts, and Health-Risk Behaviors Among Students in Grades 9-12: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

LGBT+ youth are two times as likely as heterosexual youth to say they have been verbally harassed at school (Growing up LGBT in America).

“LGBT youth are more likely than non-LGBT youth to report that they do not have an adult they can talk to about personal problems” (Growing up LGBT in America)

33% of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth have attempted suicide as compared to 7% of youth in the general population (Egale Canada Human Rights Trust, “What you should know about LGBTQ youth suicide in Canada” [Egale Suicide Report]).