The report was based on 2017 data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. That year was the first year the survey included a question about transgender identity. In addition to the 1.8% of students who identified as transgender, 1.6% reported being unsure if they were transgender, and 2.1% said they didn’t know what the question was asking.
Individuals who identified as transgender were much more likely to report sexual victimization than both their male and female cisgender peers. In fact, 23.8% reported being forced to have sexual intercourse, and 26.4% report physical dating violence. Transgender students also reported more illicit drug use and more risky sexual behaviors, including early initiation of sex, use of illicit substances before sex, and having 4 or more partners. They were less likely to use condoms or contraceptives, but were more likely to have been tested for HIV than their cisgender peers.
The authors urge schools to adopt and enforce antibullying policies and to identify and train staff who can provide these vulnerable students with support.
“Transgender youths in high school appear to face serious risk for violence victimization, substance use, and suicide, as well as some sexual risk behaviors, indicating a need for programmatic efforts to better support the overall health of transgender youths,” the authors wrote. They also recommend better access to culturally competent physical and mental health care and additional research on the best health intervention strategies for this population.
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