Transcript Document

The physical and mental health of
lesbian, gay and bisexual young
people
Alice Ashworth, Policy Officer
James Taylor, Senior Health Officer
Orla Blakelock, Stonewall Youth Volunteer
Chair - Laurie Oliva, Youth Engagement Officer
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Health
James Taylor
Senior Health Officer,
Stonewall
So what?
Marmot Review clear health inequalities result from social
inequalities. Reducing them requires action on the best
start to life, enabling young people to maximise
capabilities and have control over their lives.
“The experience of our children and young people in the
early and developing years is critical to health and
educational outcomes in that they set a course for adult
life”
DoH,2012
However…
Many lesbian, gay and bisexual young people experience
poor mental health which can lead to..
– Poor attainment
– Dropping out
– Unhealthy choices later in life
– Unfulfilled talent and potential
The Drivers
The reforming nature of Public Health
– School Absence
– 16-18 NEET
Wider
Determinants
of Health
– Self-harm admissions
Health
Improvement
– Sexual Health
– Suicide
Health
Protection
Preventing
mortality
The Roles
• The School: Providing an environment where young
people feel safe to be themselves and realise their
ambition
• CAMHS/NHS: To work with schools and the community
to provide support early
• Local Authority: To plan prevention and public health
services
Gay and Bisexual Men’s Health
James Taylor
Senior Health Officer,
Stonewall
Background
• Research into gay and bisexual men’s health has focused
on specific subjects, namely sexual health and mental
health and are often small in scale
• Very little is known about the wider health needs of gay
men
• The absence of reliable data on the health needs of gay
and bisexual men means doctors and hospitals cannot
put resources into providing relevant care
The Study
• 6,861 responses from men across Britain
• 92% gay men 8% bisexual
• 85% in England, 9% Scotland, 6% Wales
• 5% black and minority ethnicity respondents
• Age range 16 – 85
Key Findings
• 3% of gay and bisexual men have attempted to take
their own life in the past year
• Half of gay and bisexual men have experienced at least
one incident of domestic abuse from a family member
or a partner since 16
• Half of gay and bisexual men have taken drugs in the
last year
• 1 in 3 gay and bisexual men have had a negative
experience of healthcare in the past year
Mental Health
• 3% of gay men have attempted to take their own life in
the last year (5% bisexual, 5% BME) . 10% of 16-19 year
olds have also attempted to take their own life
• 13% of gay and bisexual men are currently experiencing
moderate to severe levels of depression and anxiety
compared to 7% of men in general
• 15% of gay and bisexual men 16-24 have self-harmed in
the past year compared to 7% men in general 16-24
..And from the School Report
• Gay pupils who are bullied are at higher risk of suicide,
self-harm and depression.
• 16 per cent of gay and bisexual boys have attempted
suicide
• 57 per cent of gay and bisexual boys have thought about
taking their own life (76 per cent for BaME boys)
• 1 in 3 have self-harmed
• Three in ten have symptoms consistent with depression
“I have recently started to cut myself. I have had enough of being
hated by so many people for just being who I am.”
Rufus, 15
“I experienced a lot of bullying at school. I contemplated suicide and
attempted it enough to get me referred to the Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Service.”
Drew, 17
Eating Disorders
• 31% of gay and bisexual men said they worry a lot
about the way they eat and wish they could think
about it less
• 21% of gay and bisexual men have had or been told
they have had problems with their weight or eating – 2
in 3 have never sought help
• 45% of gay and bisexual men worry about the way they
look and wish they could think about it less
“I starve myself and over-exercise to an extreme level.”
Will,19, East of England
Exercise
• Despite being more likely to have a normal Body Mass
Index, gay and bisexual men are less likely to meet
recommend levels of exercise
• 52% of gay and bisexual men have a normal BMI
compared to 31% of men in general
• Just 25% meet recommendations for weekly exercise
compared to 39% of men in general
Sexual Health
• 26% of gay and bisexual men have never been tested for STI’s
– 83% don’t think they are at risk
• 30% of gay and bisexual men have never been tested for HIV
– 69% don’t think they are at risk
• This is despite HIV testing & prevention being a public health
priority
“In school we experienced very little sex education and none of the sex education we did
receive mentioned or related to same-sex relationships.”
Trevor, 18, Wales
What needs to change?
• Clear that the health needs of young gay and
bisexual men is not being met
• Worrying levels of homophobic bullying impact on
a whole range of mental and physical health
conditions in young adult life
• Schools have an important role to play in providing
education and safe environments for gay people to
be able to make informed decisions
Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s
Health
Alice Ashworth
Policy Officer,
Stonewall
The problem
“GPs and healthcare workers must show more interest in lesbian
health issues. At present it seems very focussed on pregnancy,
contraception and STI prevention which they generally perceive are
heterosexual women’s issues. When I go to the doctor, I feel like I’m
not very important to them as a lesbian woman.”
Genny, 30, Wales
“I’ve seen two different therapists this year and neither of them raised
my sexuality as something that might have an impact on my mental
health. I felt as if they might not even know how to raise it because
they were heterosexual, and didn’t understand what might and
might not arise as issues or problems.”
Keira, 23, East of England
Prescription for Change
• Engagement with 10,000’s of
lesbian and bisexual women
suggested their healthcare had
been neglected by the health sector
• 6178 women (81% lesbian/ 16%
bisexual)
• Carried out in 2007 & published in
2008
• Youngest respondent was 14
Key findings
• Smoking alcohol and drugs
– Two thirds of lesbian and bisexual women have smoked
compared to half of women in general.
– 40 per cent drink three times a week compared to a quarter of
women in general.
– Lesbian and bisexual women are five times more likely to have
taken drugs.
• Sexual health
– Less than half of lesbian and bisexual women have ever been
screened for sexually transmitted infections.
• Cancer screening
– Fifteen per cent of lesbian and bisexual women over the age of
25 have never had a cervical smear test, compared to seven per
cent of women in general.
Key findings
• Mental health
– One in five lesbian and bisexual women have
deliberately harmed themselves in the last year,
compared to 0.4 per cent of the general population.
• Domestic violence
– One in four lesbian and bisexual women have
experienced domestic violence, the same as women
in general.
• Discrimination in healthcare
– Half have had negative experiences in the health
sector in the last year.
Mental health
• 16% under the age of 20 have attempted to
take their own life in the past year.
• 50% under the age of 20 have self-harmed in
the past year, compared to 1 in 15 generally.
School Report 2012
• Lesbian and bisexual girls are more likely than gay and
bisexual boys to attempt suicide (29 per cent compared
to 16 per cent).
• Seven in ten lesbian and bisexual girls think about suicide
(compared to one in six boys).
• Lesbian and bisexual girls are twice as likely as gay and
bisexual boys to self-harm (72 per cent) – significant
increase for whose who experience homophobic
bullying.
• Half of girls have symptoms consistent with depression,
compared to three in ten gay and bisexual boys.
School Report 2012
“I once carved the words ‘dirty lesbian’ into my
thigh because people kept calling me that. I
hated myself.”
Claudia, 17
“Because of the bullying I received in school, I
was diagnosed with depression, self-harmed
and had suicidal thoughts”
Gemma, 16
www.healthylives.stonewall.org.uk
Orla Blakelock
Stonewall Youth Volunteer
- What steps will you take to raise awareness of
the issues raised in this session with
colleagues?
- What steps could you take within your
organisation to improve the health of lesbian,
gay and bisexual young people that you engage
with?