How community connection, homophobia, and racism shape gene expression in sexual minority men with and without HIV.

Objective: Although sexual minority men experience substantial discrimination, in addition to increased risk for several serious mental and somatic health problems, the biological mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. To address this issue, we examined how experiences of social safety (i.e.

Development and validation of the Transgender Adolescent Stress Survey-Minority Stress (TASS-MS).

Objective: This study aimed to create and validate a novel measure of gender-related minority stress in transgender and non-binary adolescents (TNBA). TNBA face higher risks of varied behavioral health concerns compared to their cisgender peers, a disparity often attributed to the presence of minority stress due to discrimination. To date, no comprehensive measures of gender-related minority stress exist for use with TNBA.

The Associations Between Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health Outcomes Among Sexual Minority Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sexual minority men (SMM) experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at a substantially high rate and also bear high burdens of adverse mental health outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to consolidate existing evidence on the associations between experiencing IPV and adverse mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, etc.) among SMM.

Development and validation of the Transgender Adolescent Stress Survey-Dysphoria.

Objective: Transgender and nonbinary adolescents (TNBA) may experience gender dysphoria arising from incongruities between their body and their gender. Prior dysphoria measures have largely focused on clinical diagnosis with little regard to comparability of forms for people assigned male or female at birth, overall psychometric performance, or applicability to nonbinary populations. This study develops and validates the Transgender Adolescent Stress Survey-Dysphoria (TASS-D), intended to address these gaps.

Intimate partner violence types are differentially associated with substance use among young, urban, sexual minority men of color.

Sexual minority men of color report intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use at elevated rates compared to heterosexual peers, but little is known about how types (physical/sexual, controlling, monitoring, emotional) of perpetration and victimization are connected to types of substance use. Associations between past-6-month IPV experiences and substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, poppers, cocaine) were examined among sexual minority men (N = 414; 18-27 years). IPV victimization and perpetration were reported by 22% and 14% of the sample.

Couch-Surfing and Mental Health Outcomes among Sexual Minority Adolescents.

Background: Sexual minority youth are at more than twice the risk of experiencing homelessness than their peers and both sexual minority youth and youth experiencing homelessness have disproportionate risk for mental health disorder symptoms. Couch-surfing is a common form of homelessness experienced by youth, but research on the relationship between couch-surfing and mental health outcomes, especially among sexual minority adolescents (SMA), is limited.

Methods: Utilizing a sample of 2,558 SMA (14-17 years old) recruited via social media and respondent-driven sampling, this study explores the relationship between different forms of homelessness (exclusive couch-surfing vs.

It's time for change: inequities and determinants of health-related quality of life among gender and sexually diverse young people in Australia.

Purpose: This study was guided by three research aims: firstly, to examine the longitudinal trends of health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among gender and sexuality diverse (LGBTQA2S+) young people through adolescence (ages 14-19); secondly, to assess longitudinal associations between poor mental health and HR-QoL among LGBTQA2S+ young people through adolescence; and thirdly, to examine differences in HR-QoL among LGBTQA2S+ young people during early adolescence (ages 14 and 15) depending on select school-, peer-, and parent-level factors.

Methods: This study used three of nine available waves of data from a large population-level, probability sample-based, longitudinal cohort study, namely the K' cohort: children aged 4-5 years old at time of study enrolment followed-up biennially (~ 61% retention rate). HR-QoL weighted means and standard deviations were calculated using Child Health Utility 9D (CHU-9D) scores for LGBTQA2S+ participants at ages 14 and 15 (Wave 6), ages 16 and 17 (Wave 7), and ages 18 and 19 (Wave 8).

A chatbot-delivered intervention for optimizing social media use and reducing perceived isolation among rural-living LGBTQ+ youth: Development, acceptability, usability, satisfaction, and utility.

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) youth are at higher risk of isolation and depression than their heterosexual peers. Having access to tailored mental health resources is a documented concern for rural living LGBTQ+ youth. Social media provides access to connections to a broader and like-minded community of peers, but it also is a vehicle for negative interactions.

Sexual Identity Fluidity and Depressive Symptoms: Findings From a National Longitudinal Study of Sexual Minority Adolescents.

Purpose: Sexual minority adolescents (SMAs) consistently report elevated risk of mental health symptoms, including depression. Sexual identities may change over time (referred as sexual identity fluidity), particularly during adolescence. This study examined the effect of sexual identity fluidity on depressive symptoms over time.

Development and Validation of the Military Minority Stress Scale.

Despite affecting nearly 3% of active-duty service members, little is known about how LGBT-related stress experiences may relate to health outcomes. Thus, the present study sought to create a Military Minority Stress Scale and assess its initial reliability and construct validity in a cross-sectional study of active-duty LGBT service members ( = 248). Associations between 47 candidate items and health outcomes of interest were analyzed to retain those with substantial betas.

"That's kind of like the big struggle right now is can we get PrEP?": Facilitators and Barriers to PrEP Uptake Among Active Duty Gay and Bisexual Men.

Introduction: The US Military is experiencing a rise in HIV infections among gay and bisexual men (GBM) serving on active duty, yet little is known about this population's uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an evidence-based intervention for HIV prevention. This mixed methods study examines the facilitators and barriers to PrEP access and uptake among active duty GBM.

Methods: Active duty GBM were recruited using respondent-driven sampling (2017 and 2018).

Nominal Versus Realized Costs of Recruiting and Retaining a National Sample of Sexual Minority Adolescents in the United States: Longitudinal Study.

Background: Web-based recruitment for research studies is becoming increasingly popular and necessary. When compared with the traditional methods of recruitment, these methods may enable researchers to reach more diverse participants in less time. Social media use is highly prevalent among adolescents, and the unique context of social media may be particularly important for the recruitment of sexual minority young people who would not be captured by traditional methods.

Sexual identity fluidity, identity management stress, and depression among sexual minority adolescents.

Introduction: Sexual identity is mutable and evolving, particularly during adolescence. Sexual identity fluidity could be stressful for some adolescents and may differ by birth-sex. Evidence suggests chronic stress can lead to negative mental health outcomes.

Young Men Who Have Sex With Men and Substance Use: A Comparison of Venue-Based Sampling and Geosocial Networking Application Sampling.

To compare the demographics, sexual risk behaviors, and substance use characteristics of two probability samples of young men who have sex with men (YMSM): one recruited using a geosocial networking application (GSNA) and one recruited using venues. In 2017 and 2018, a cross-sectional online survey was utilized with a sample of 122 YMSM recruited in Los Angeles, CA. Recruitment procedures included both venue-based (n = 68) and GSNA-based probability sampling (n = 54).

Greater lifetime stressor exposure is associated with poorer mental health among sexual minority people of color.

Background: Research has shown that sexual minority people of color experience pervasive and sometimes severe life stressors that increase their risk of experiencing mental health problems, and that can contribute to lifelong health disparities. However, no studies in this population have investigated stressor exposure occurring over the entire lifespan. Moreover, it remains unknown whether these stressor-health effects differ based on the timing or types of stressors experienced.

A Trans Youth of Color Study to Measure Health and Wellness: Protocol for a Longitudinal Observation Study.

Background: Growing research on transgender youth is accounting for the variety of ways in which young people define their genders and sexualities. Because of this growing representation, more research is needed to understand how intersectional identities and stigma affect risk for HIV acquisition along the HIV care continuum and engagement in mental and physical health care. Little is known about accessibility to HIV-related prevention services of nonbinary and transmasculine youth, and further understanding of the impacts on transfeminine people-those who have historically faced the highest prevalence of HIV positivity-is crucial.

Combining the HYM (Healthy Young Men's) Cohort Study and the TRUTH (A Trans Youth of Color Study): Protocol for an Expanded Mixed Methods Study Renewal.

Background: As we enter the fifth decade of the AIDS epidemic, health researchers and AIDS activists reflect both on the progress that has been made and the importance of continued prevention efforts for those most at risk. As HIV infection rates continue to fluctuate across communities, a trend has emerged with new HIV infections becoming increasingly concentrated-with cascading effects-among people aged <30 years, from marginalized racial and ethnic groups, and who are sexual or gender minorities.

Objective: In this paper, we discuss the renewal of the Healthy Young Men's (HYM) Cohort Study and the addition of a subcohort-TRUTH: A Transgender Youth of Color Study.

Sexual Orientation Change among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review.

This article reviews research on changes in self-reported sexual orientation labels and associated health outcomes among adolescents and young adults. Using seven electronic databases and supplementary methods, we identified 30 studies for inclusion in the review, published between 2000 and 2020. This review aimed to summarize the approaches to measuring sexual orientation change; the prevalence, patterns, and directionality of changes in sexual identity; and how changes in sexual orientation relate to health outcomes among adolescents and youth adults.

Explaining behavioral health differences in urban and rural sexual minority adolescents: A longitudinal investigation of minority stress in a diverse national sample of sexual minority adolescents: A longitudinal investigation of minority stress in a diverse national sample of sexual minority adolescents.

Purpose: Experiences of sexuality-based discrimination (ie, minority stressors) against youth who identify as nonheterosexual (ie, sexual minority) have been associated with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for sexual minority adolescents (SMA; ages 14-17). However, little is known about the experiences of SMA living in rural communities across the United States. Thus, the present study sought to examine differences in mental health patterns between urban and rural dwelling SMA, and to see whether these differences are, at least in part, explained by experiences of lifetime minority stress.

Access to health services among sexual minority people in the United States.

Sexual minority people in the United States are less likely to have access to health services when compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Less is known about the within-group sociodemographic memberships among sexual minority people regarding access to health services. Using data from a nationally representative sample, a series of univariate and bivariate analyses were used to determine associations between sociodemographic group membership and access to health services.