Adolescents who self-identify as non-heterosexual has increased from around 15% to 25% in a period of two years, according to new analysis
A new comparative analysis of survey results reveals that 1 in 4 US adolescents in grades 9 through 12 self-identify as non-heterosexual. These findings are published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
From 2019 to 2021, the researchers noted a significant decrease in youth who self-identified as heterosexual (84.5% vs. 74.7%). There was an increase in those who self-identified as gay or lesbian (2.5% vs. 3%) and an increase in those who self-identified as bisexual (8.6% vs. 12%). More youths in 2021 than in 2019 also selected “not sure” for their sexual identity (5.1% vs. 4.4%).
In 2019, 5.6% of females and 3.3% of males stated that they were “not sure” of their sexual identity, against 8% of females and 2.3% of males in 2021.
The survey included 12,847 respondents (51% female and 49% male) in 2019, and 16,357 respondents (48% female and 52% male) in 2021.