Abstract
Despite increasing efforts to better understand sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY), asexual youth remain understudied. This study examines differences in health, family support, and school safety among asexual youth (n = 938) from a national study of SGMY (N = 17,112) ages 13–17. Compared to non-asexual youth, asexual youth were more likely to identify as transgender and report a disability, and less likely to identify as Black or Hispanic/Latino. Transgender (versus cisgender) asexual youth fared worse on most study outcomes. Cisgender asexual (versus cisgender non-asexual) youth fared worse on all study outcomes. Transgender asexual (versus transgender non-asexual) youth reported lower sexuality-related family support. These findings underscore the role of gender identity in understanding the experiences of asexual youth.
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Acknowledgements
This research uses data from the LGBTQ National Teen Study, designed by Ryan J. Watson and Rebecca M. Puhl in collaboration with the Human Rights Campaign, and supported by the Office for Vice President of Research at the University of Connecticut. The authors acknowledge the important contributions of Ellen Kahn, Gabe Murchison, and Liam Miranda in their support, conceptualization, and management related to the LGBTQ National Teen Study.
Authors’ Contributions
K. A. S. as the first author conducted the analyses and drafted a substantial portion of the manuscript; H. M. H. conceived the original research questions of the study, helped draft portions of the manuscript, and provided feedback throughout the writing process; A. N. C. and B. M. R. helped draft portions of the manuscript and provided feedback throughout the writing process; R. H. F. and L. A. E. provided feedback throughout the writing process in addition to helping frame the overall structure of the manuscript; R. J. W. provided feedback throughout the writing process, helped to frame the overall structure of the manuscript, and designed and coordinated the study. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This work was supported through funding by the National Institutes of Drug Abuse (grant K01DA047918). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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All study procedures were approved by the University of Connecticut IRB board, protocol H16-322. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed assent was obtained from all youth participants included in the study. A waiver of parental consent was obtained from the IRB related to this study.
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Simon, K.A., Hawthorne, H.M., Clark, A.N. et al. Contextualizing the Well-being of Asexual Youth: Evidence of Differences in Family, Health, and School Outcomes. J Youth Adolescence 51, 128–140 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01500-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01500-5