4 Troubled Teens Blog

A Canadian study of over 70,000 middle and high school students found that gay, lesbian, and bisexual young people were significantly more likely to experience pregnancy. For example, in the year 1998, 7.2% of lesbian and 10.6% of bisexual girls got pregnant compared to only 1.8% of heterosexual girls. Among boys in the same year, 9.6% of gay and 11.6% of bisexual boys got a girlfriend pregnant, compared to 1.5% of heterosexual boys. The study also found that this group of teens experiences sex at a young age - under 14 years old.

Researchers from University of British Columbia studied health surveys from 1992, 1998, and 2003. They speculated that gay and bisexual teens are under pressure to hide their sexual preferences, and pregnancy acts as a camouflage.

This study appeared in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.

Labels: sex, pregnancy, gay

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 1 Comment

According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center, gay teens are at greater risk of committing suicide than are their heterosexual counterparts.

Local Suicide Specialist Kristi Haynes said, "They are not only dealing with the normal issues that teens are dealing with in general. Then, on top of that they are dealing with bullying in school, isolation when they come out, they're kicked out of their homes."

In response to this risk, the Vista Youth Center in Kennewick, Wash., held an educational program aimed at teaching gay youth how to recognize warning signs of suicide. In addition to a discussion period, the teens in attendance watched a movie called Trevor, about a 13-year-old boy who struggles with his sexuality and tries to commit suicide. About 12 teens attended the program. Source: KNDO-TV (WA)

Labels: suicide, gay, lesbian

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Gene Simmons, Kat von D, 50 Cent, Cindy McClain and Dr. Drew Pinsky are among the celebrities from the worlds of music, entertainment, business and politics who appear in a new anti-bullying video created by the NOH8 Campaign.

The YouTube page on which the video was posted also advises youth in crisis to call The Trevor Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866.488.7386) or to visit the Trevor Project's website at www.TheTrevorProject.org.

Labels: bullying, gay, lgbt

Posted By: Troubled Teens 1 Comment