Editing Sexual minority (section)

== Associated health and social issues ==
===Stress===
Social issues may lead to possible health and psychological issues, especially in youth. It has been found that sexual minorities face increased stress due to [[Social stigma|stigma]]s. This stigma-related stress creates elevated coping regulation and social and cognitive processes leading to risk for psychopathology.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Hatzenbuehler|first=Mark L.|date=2009-09-01|title=How does sexual minority stigma "get under the skin"? A psychological mediation framework.|journal=Psychological Bulletin|language=en|volume=135|issue=5|pages=707–730|doi=10.1037/a0016441|issn=1939-1455|pmc=2789474|pmid=19702379}}</ref>

===Risky behavior===
The [[Centers for Disease Control]] (CDC) published their 2015 study of large cohorts of ninth to twelfth grade students across the US. One hundred health behaviors were shown to put LGB students at risk for health consequences. Sexual minority students engage in more risky behaviors when compared with nonsexual minority students. Some students "...had no sexual contact [and] were excluded from analyses on sexual behaviors [including] female students who had sexual contact with only females [and] were excluded from analyses on condom use and birth control use..." Also excluded were "...male students who had sexual contact with only males [and] were excluded from analyses on birth control use."<ref name = CDC2016/> One small study <!--nonMEDRS-->showed that LGBT adolescents were victimized more often, had higher rates of [[psychopathology]], left home more frequently, used highly addictive substances more frequently, and were more likely to have more [[multiple sex partners]] than heterosexual adolescents.<ref name=":0"/>

===Development===
Based on studies of adolescents, it is concluded that sexual minorities are similar to heterosexual adolescents in developmental needs and concerns. However, research has suggested that sexual minority youth (more specifically LGBT youth) are more susceptible to psychological and health issues than heterosexual youth.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Cochran|first1=Bryan N.|last2=Stewart|first2=Angela J.|last3=Ginzler|first3=Joshua A.|last4=Cauce|first4=Ana Mari|date=2002-05-01|title=Challenges Faced by Homeless Sexual Minorities: Comparison of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Homeless Adolescents With Their Heterosexual Counterparts|journal=American Journal of Public Health|volume=92|issue=5|pages=773–777|doi=10.2105/AJPH.92.5.773|pmid=11988446|issn=0090-0036|pmc=1447160}}</ref>

===Epidemiology===
Sexual minorities tend to use [[alternative and complementary medicine]] alternative methods of addressing their health needs more often than heterosexuals.<ref name = Blume2016>{{cite journal | title =Advances in Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Interventions Among Racial, Ethnic, and Sexual Minority Populations | journal = Alcohol Research: Current Reviews | first1 = Arthur W. | last1 = Blume |date = 2016 | volume = 38 | issue =1 | pages = 47–54 | pmc = 4872612 | pmid = 27159811 }}</ref> Sexual minority women have a higher incidence of [[asthma]], [[obesity]], [[arthritis]] and [[cardiovascular disease]] than other groups.<ref name="SimoniSmith2016">{{cite journal|last1=Simoni|first1=Jane M.|last2=Smith|first2=Laramie|last3=Oost|first3=Kathryn M.|last4=Lehavot|first4=Keren|last5=Fredriksen-Goldsen|first5=Karen|title=Disparities in Physical Health Conditions Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women: A Systematic Review of Population-Based Studies|journal=Journal of Homosexuality|volume=64|issue=1|year=2016|pages=32–44|issn=0091-8369|doi=10.1080/00918369.2016.1174021|pmid=27074088|pmc=5063711}}</ref>

Adolescent sexual minorities report a higher incidence of the following when compared to heterosexual students:

* feelings of not being safe travelling to and from school or in school.
* not going to school because they did not feel safe.
* forced to do sexual things they did not want to do by someone they were dating or going out with one or more times during the 12 months (touching, kissing, or physically forced to have sexual intercourse)
* had sexual intercourse.
* first had sex before age 13.
* had sex with at least four other people.
* not using birth control.
* had experienced sexual violence.<ref name = CDC2016/>

When compared to the general population, sexual minorities have a higher risk for self-injury.<ref name="JackmanHonig2016">{{cite journal|last1=Jackman|first1=Kate|last2=Honig|first2=Judy|last3=Bockting|first3=Walter|title=Nonsuicidal self-injury among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations: an integrative review|journal=Journal of Clinical Nursing|volume=25|issue=23–24|year=2016|pages=3438–3453|issn=0962-1067|doi=10.1111/jocn.13236|pmid=27272643}}</ref> The treatment of aging sexual minorities seems to be influenced more by ageism. Support for aging sexual minorities appears to be common.<ref name="McParlandCamic2016">{{cite journal|last1=McParland|first1=James|last2=Camic|first2=Paul M|title=Psychosocial factors and ageing in older lesbian, gay and bisexual people: a systematic review of the literature|journal=Journal of Clinical Nursing|volume=25|issue=23–24|year=2016|pages=3415–3437|issn=0962-1067|doi=10.1111/jocn.13251|pmid=27167408|url=http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/14478/6/14478.pdf|access-date=2019-02-13|archive-date=2018-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720115847/http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/14478/6/14478.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Discrimination===
When gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults reported being discriminated against, forty-two percent credited it to their [[sexual orientation]]. This discrimination was positively associated with both harmful effects on quality of life and indicators of psychiatric morbidity.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Mays|first1=Vickie M.|last2=Cochran|first2=Susan D.|date=2001-11-01|title=Mental Health Correlates of Perceived Discrimination Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the United States|journal=American Journal of Public Health|volume=91|issue=11|pages=1869–1876|doi=10.2105/AJPH.91.11.1869|pmid=11684618|pmc=1446893|issn=0090-0036|citeseerx=10.1.1.628.2374}}<sup>[16-years old]</sup></ref> <!--In fact, sexual minority respondents were significantly more likely to have at least one of five psychiatric disorders examined in the research than heterosexual persons.<ref name=":2" /> The research on discrimination has built upon prior evidence that discrimination can lead to negative psychological changes. These negative changes are evident in the resulting health issues found in the surveyed adults.-->