Eliza Partika

Transgender and nonbinary adolescents are twice as likely to experience sexual violence as their cisgendered peers but are less likely to attempt rape or commit sexual assault, researchers have found.

The study, which was published online  in JAMA Network Open, is among the first on the sexual violence that trans, nonbinary, and other gender nonconforming adolescents experience. Previous studies have focused on adults.

“In the busy world of clinical care, it is essential that clinicians be aware of potential disparities their patients are navigating,” said Michele Ybarra, PhD, MPH, president and research director of the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, San Clemente, California, who led the study. “This includes sexual violence victimization for gender minority youth and the need to talk about consent and boundaries for youth of all genders.”

Dr. Ybarra said that while clinicians may be aware that transgender young people face stigma, discrimination, and bullying, they may not be aware that trans youth are also the targets of sexual violence.

Studies indicate that health care providers and communities have significant misconceptions about sexually explicit behavior among trans and nonbinary teens. Misconceptions can lead to discrimination, resulting in higher rates of drug abuse, dropping out of school, suicide, and homelessness.

Dr. Ybarra and her colleagues surveyed 911 trans, nonbinary, or questioning youth on Instagram and Facebook through a collaboration with Growing Up With Media, a national longitudinal survey designed to investigate sexual violence during adolescence.

They also surveyed 3,282 cisgender persons aged 14-16 years who were recruited to the study between June 2018 and March 2020. The term “cisgender” refers to youth who identify with their gender at birth.

The questionnaires asked teens about gender identity, race, economic status, and support systems at home. Factors associated with not experiencing sexual violence included having a strong network of friends, family, and educators; involvement in the community; and having people close who affirm their gender identity.

More than three-fourths (78%) of youth surveyed identified as cisgender, 13.9% identified as questioning, and 7.9% identified as transgender.

Roughly two-thirds (67%) of transgender adolescents said they had experienced serious sexual violence, 73% reported experiencing violence in their communities, and 63% said they had been exposed to aggressive behavior. In contrast, 6.7% of trans youth said they had ever committed sexual violence, while 7.4% of cisgender teens surveyed, or 243 students, said they had done so.

“The relative lack of visibility of gender minority youth in sexual violence research is unacceptable,” Dr. Ybarra told this news organization. “To be counted, one needs to be seen. We aimed to start addressing this exclusion with the current study.”

The findings provide a lens into the levels of sexual violence that LGBTQIA+ youth experience and an opportunity to provide more inclusive care, according to Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD, FSAHM, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, and medical director of community and population health at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in the study.

“There are unfortunately pervasive and harmful stereotypes in our society about the ‘sexual deviancy’ attributed to LGBTQIA+ individuals,” Dr. Miller told this news organization. “This study adds to the research literature that counters and challenges these harmful – and inaccurate – perceptions.”

Dr. Miller said clinicians can help this population by offering youth accurate information about relevant support and services, including how to help a friend.

Programs that providers could incorporate include gender transformative approaches, which guide youth to examine gender norms and inequities and that develop leadership skills.

Such programs are more common outside the United States and have been shown to decrease LGBTQIA+ youth exposure to sexual violence, she said.

Dr. Miller said more research is needed to understand the contexts in which gender minority youth experience sexual violence to guide prevention efforts: “We need to move beyond individual-focused interventions to considering community-level interventions to create safer and more inclusive spaces for all youth.”

Dr. Miller has received royalties for writing content for UptoDate Wolters Kluwer outside of the current study. Dr. Ybarra has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Transgender and nonbinary adolescents are twice as likely to experience sexual violence as their cisgendered peers but are less likely to attempt rape or commit sexual assault, researchers have found.

The study, which was published online  in JAMA Network Open, is among the first on the sexual violence that trans, nonbinary, and other gender nonconforming adolescents experience. Previous studies have focused on adults.

“In the busy world of clinical care, it is essential that clinicians be aware of potential disparities their patients are navigating,” said Michele Ybarra, PhD, MPH, president and research director of the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, San Clemente, California, who led the study. “This includes sexual violence victimization for gender minority youth and the need to talk about consent and boundaries for youth of all genders.”

Dr. Ybarra said that while clinicians may be aware that transgender young people face stigma, discrimination, and bullying, they may not be aware that trans youth are also the targets of sexual violence.

Studies indicate that health care providers and communities have significant misconceptions about sexually explicit behavior among trans and nonbinary teens. Misconceptions can lead to discrimination, resulting in higher rates of drug abuse, dropping out of school, suicide, and homelessness.

Dr. Ybarra and her colleagues surveyed 911 trans, nonbinary, or questioning youth on Instagram and Facebook through a collaboration with Growing Up With Media, a national longitudinal survey designed to investigate sexual violence during adolescence.

They also surveyed 3,282 cisgender persons aged 14-16 years who were recruited to the study between June 2018 and March 2020. The term “cisgender” refers to youth who identify with their gender at birth.

The questionnaires asked teens about gender identity, race, economic status, and support systems at home. Factors associated with not experiencing sexual violence included having a strong network of friends, family, and educators; involvement in the community; and having people close who affirm their gender identity.

More than three-fourths (78%) of youth surveyed identified as cisgender, 13.9% identified as questioning, and 7.9% identified as transgender.

Roughly two-thirds (67%) of transgender adolescents said they had experienced serious sexual violence, 73% reported experiencing violence in their communities, and 63% said they had been exposed to aggressive behavior. In contrast, 6.7% of trans youth said they had ever committed sexual violence, while 7.4% of cisgender teens surveyed, or 243 students, said they had done so.

“The relative lack of visibility of gender minority youth in sexual violence research is unacceptable,” Dr. Ybarra told this news organization. “To be counted, one needs to be seen. We aimed to start addressing this exclusion with the current study.”

The findings provide a lens into the levels of sexual violence that LGBTQIA+ youth experience and an opportunity to provide more inclusive care, according to Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD, FSAHM, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, and medical director of community and population health at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in the study.

“There are unfortunately pervasive and harmful stereotypes in our society about the ‘sexual deviancy’ attributed to LGBTQIA+ individuals,” Dr. Miller told this news organization. “This study adds to the research literature that counters and challenges these harmful – and inaccurate – perceptions.”

Dr. Miller said clinicians can help this population by offering youth accurate information about relevant support and services, including how to help a friend.

Programs that providers could incorporate include gender transformative approaches, which guide youth to examine gender norms and inequities and that develop leadership skills.

Such programs are more common outside the United States and have been shown to decrease LGBTQIA+ youth exposure to sexual violence, she said.

Dr. Miller said more research is needed to understand the contexts in which gender minority youth experience sexual violence to guide prevention efforts: “We need to move beyond individual-focused interventions to considering community-level interventions to create safer and more inclusive spaces for all youth.”

Dr. Miller has received royalties for writing content for UptoDate Wolters Kluwer outside of the current study. Dr. Ybarra has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Transgender and nonbinary adolescents are twice as likely to experience sexual violence as their cisgendered peers but are less likely to attempt rape or commit sexual assault, researchers have found.

The study, which was published online  in JAMA Network Open, is among the first on the sexual violence that trans, nonbinary, and other gender nonconforming adolescents experience. Previous studies have focused on adults.

“In the busy world of clinical care, it is essential that clinicians be aware of potential disparities their patients are navigating,” said Michele Ybarra, PhD, MPH, president and research director of the Center for Innovative Public Health Research, San Clemente, California, who led the study. “This includes sexual violence victimization for gender minority youth and the need to talk about consent and boundaries for youth of all genders.”

Dr. Ybarra said that while clinicians may be aware that transgender young people face stigma, discrimination, and bullying, they may not be aware that trans youth are also the targets of sexual violence.

Studies indicate that health care providers and communities have significant misconceptions about sexually explicit behavior among trans and nonbinary teens. Misconceptions can lead to discrimination, resulting in higher rates of drug abuse, dropping out of school, suicide, and homelessness.

Dr. Ybarra and her colleagues surveyed 911 trans, nonbinary, or questioning youth on Instagram and Facebook through a collaboration with Growing Up With Media, a national longitudinal survey designed to investigate sexual violence during adolescence.

They also surveyed 3,282 cisgender persons aged 14-16 years who were recruited to the study between June 2018 and March 2020. The term “cisgender” refers to youth who identify with their gender at birth.

The questionnaires asked teens about gender identity, race, economic status, and support systems at home. Factors associated with not experiencing sexual violence included having a strong network of friends, family, and educators; involvement in the community; and having people close who affirm their gender identity.

More than three-fourths (78%) of youth surveyed identified as cisgender, 13.9% identified as questioning, and 7.9% identified as transgender.

Roughly two-thirds (67%) of transgender adolescents said they had experienced serious sexual violence, 73% reported experiencing violence in their communities, and 63% said they had been exposed to aggressive behavior. In contrast, 6.7% of trans youth said they had ever committed sexual violence, while 7.4% of cisgender teens surveyed, or 243 students, said they had done so.

“The relative lack of visibility of gender minority youth in sexual violence research is unacceptable,” Dr. Ybarra told this news organization. “To be counted, one needs to be seen. We aimed to start addressing this exclusion with the current study.”

The findings provide a lens into the levels of sexual violence that LGBTQIA+ youth experience and an opportunity to provide more inclusive care, according to Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD, FSAHM, Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics, director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, and medical director of community and population health at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, who was not involved in the study.

“There are unfortunately pervasive and harmful stereotypes in our society about the ‘sexual deviancy’ attributed to LGBTQIA+ individuals,” Dr. Miller told this news organization. “This study adds to the research literature that counters and challenges these harmful – and inaccurate – perceptions.”

Dr. Miller said clinicians can help this population by offering youth accurate information about relevant support and services, including how to help a friend.

Programs that providers could incorporate include gender transformative approaches, which guide youth to examine gender norms and inequities and that develop leadership skills.

Such programs are more common outside the United States and have been shown to decrease LGBTQIA+ youth exposure to sexual violence, she said.

Dr. Miller said more research is needed to understand the contexts in which gender minority youth experience sexual violence to guide prevention efforts: “We need to move beyond individual-focused interventions to considering community-level interventions to create safer and more inclusive spaces for all youth.”

Dr. Miller has received royalties for writing content for UptoDate Wolters Kluwer outside of the current study. Dr. Ybarra has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

More than 3 million live births occurred in the United States in 2021, the largest increase in the nation’s birth rate since 2014, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Provisional data showed a 1% uptick in births, to 3.66 million, after 6 years of dropping by approximately 2% per year. The gains were concentrated among birthing people ages 25 and older. Teenage births, on the other hand, are at their lowest level since the 1990s, according to the CDC. The agency reported a record 6% decrease in births for teenagers aged 15 to 19 years between 2020 and 2021. Women ages 20 to 25 years also had a record decrease in births of 4% during that period.

Brady E. Hamilton, PhD, of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, and the lead author of the new report, said the rise in births points to childbearing that was postponed during the pandemic. Data from 2021 showed a 4% drop in the nation’s birth rate between 2019 and 2020.

“The option to forgo birth is not always viable for older women, but you saw a lot of that during the pandemic,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Events happened related to job security and the economy that caused people to wait to have a child.”

Dr. Hamilton said more data are needed to determine the full impact of increased overall birth rates on individuals. The final report, which will be released in July, will delve deeper into the influence increased birth rates had on demographics and preterm births, which Dr. Hamilton and his team found have increased by 4%.

“For those beginning to have children, we see these trends, but it will be interesting to see what happens to younger women in the future,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Once we have the final data for 2021, we will be able to see a more detailed pattern emerge and draw conclusions from that.”

Dr. Hamilton has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

More than 3 million live births occurred in the United States in 2021, the largest increase in the nation’s birth rate since 2014, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Provisional data showed a 1% uptick in births, to 3.66 million, after 6 years of dropping by approximately 2% per year. The gains were concentrated among birthing people ages 25 and older. Teenage births, on the other hand, are at their lowest level since the 1990s, according to the CDC. The agency reported a record 6% decrease in births for teenagers aged 15 to 19 years between 2020 and 2021. Women ages 20 to 25 years also had a record decrease in births of 4% during that period.

Brady E. Hamilton, PhD, of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, and the lead author of the new report, said the rise in births points to childbearing that was postponed during the pandemic. Data from 2021 showed a 4% drop in the nation’s birth rate between 2019 and 2020.

“The option to forgo birth is not always viable for older women, but you saw a lot of that during the pandemic,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Events happened related to job security and the economy that caused people to wait to have a child.”

Dr. Hamilton said more data are needed to determine the full impact of increased overall birth rates on individuals. The final report, which will be released in July, will delve deeper into the influence increased birth rates had on demographics and preterm births, which Dr. Hamilton and his team found have increased by 4%.

“For those beginning to have children, we see these trends, but it will be interesting to see what happens to younger women in the future,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Once we have the final data for 2021, we will be able to see a more detailed pattern emerge and draw conclusions from that.”

Dr. Hamilton has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

More than 3 million live births occurred in the United States in 2021, the largest increase in the nation’s birth rate since 2014, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Provisional data showed a 1% uptick in births, to 3.66 million, after 6 years of dropping by approximately 2% per year. The gains were concentrated among birthing people ages 25 and older. Teenage births, on the other hand, are at their lowest level since the 1990s, according to the CDC. The agency reported a record 6% decrease in births for teenagers aged 15 to 19 years between 2020 and 2021. Women ages 20 to 25 years also had a record decrease in births of 4% during that period.

Brady E. Hamilton, PhD, of the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, and the lead author of the new report, said the rise in births points to childbearing that was postponed during the pandemic. Data from 2021 showed a 4% drop in the nation’s birth rate between 2019 and 2020.

“The option to forgo birth is not always viable for older women, but you saw a lot of that during the pandemic,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Events happened related to job security and the economy that caused people to wait to have a child.”

Dr. Hamilton said more data are needed to determine the full impact of increased overall birth rates on individuals. The final report, which will be released in July, will delve deeper into the influence increased birth rates had on demographics and preterm births, which Dr. Hamilton and his team found have increased by 4%.

“For those beginning to have children, we see these trends, but it will be interesting to see what happens to younger women in the future,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Once we have the final data for 2021, we will be able to see a more detailed pattern emerge and draw conclusions from that.”

Dr. Hamilton has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.