UTPRC Adolescent Sexual Health

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UTPRC Adolescent Sexual Health

• Deb Murphy

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MCC PROGRAMS

• LIFE Counseling
• HIV Counseling
• Anti-Violence Services
• Hate Crimes
• Domestic Violence
• Sexual Assault
• Switchboard
• Outpatient CD Treatment

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PROGRAMS, continued

• Case Management
• Education, Prevention, Outreach
• SPRY
• HATCH

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GROUND RULES

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WHATS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

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GLBTIQQA ADOLESCENTS A QUIZ

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WHAT IS GLBTIQQA?
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AT WHAT AGE IS SEXUAL ORIENTATION ESTABLISHED?

• Birth
• 3-5 years of age
• 11-13 years of age
• Changes over time

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AGE YOUTH COME OUT TO SELF

• Birth
• 3-5 years of age
• 11-13 years of age
• 19-23 years of age

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WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUTH IDENTIFY AS GLBTIQQA?

• 3
• 7
• 9
• 12

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WHAT PERCENTAGE HAVE HAD SAME-SEX EXPERIENCE?

• 5
• 30
• 80
• 100

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WHAT PERCENTAGE HAVE HAD SEX RESULTING IN
PREGNANCY?

• lt1
• 5
• 12
• 25

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HOW DOES SUICIDE RISK COMPARE TO HETERO YOUTH?

• Two times less likely
• Just as likely (same percentage as heterosexual)
• Twice as likely
• Three to four times as likely

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WHAT PERCENTAGE OF HOMELESS YOUTH ARE GAY OR
LESBIAN?

• 9
• 18
• 30
• 75

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WHAT PERCENTAGE HEAR ANTI-GAY SLURS IN HIGH
SCHOOL?

• 19
• 53
• 84
• 97

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WHAT PERCENTAGE FEEL VERY SAFE IN SCHOOL?

• 19
• 36
• 42
• 90

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DEFINITIONS

• GLBT
• Sexuality and Sexual Orientation
• Heterosexual
• Homosexual
• Bisexual
• Transgender

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TRANSGENDER

• Transvestite
• Transvestic Fetishism
• Transsexual
• MTF
• FTM
• Gender Radicals

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MORE DEFINITIONS

• Heterosexism
• Homophobia
• Invisible Minority
• Heterosexual Conditioning

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HETEROSEXISM

• Assuming everyone in the audience is heterosexual
• Family discussions at holidays
• Jokes or derogatory comments about homosexuals or
  bisexuals
• Family leave and spousal benefits
• Marriage rights
• Hospital visitation

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HOMOPHOBIA

• Verbal assault
• Vandalism
• Physical assault
• Rape
• Murder

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INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA

• Guilt
• Shame
• Self-loathing
• Self-destructive behaviors
• Substance abuse
• Acting out
• Suicide

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GUIDED IMAGERY

• I was seen as less than when
• I was treated unfairly when
• I knew I was hated for who I was when

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WALK IN MY SHOES

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STRESSES FACED BY GLBT YOUTH

• Lack of support
• Family issues
• Friends
• School
• Religious communities

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LACK OF SUPPORT

• 13 the median age at which one realizes they
  are gay
• Where would you have turned for support when you
  were 13?
• Leads to isolation

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FAMILY

• Many youth face rejection, condemnation or
  ejection from family
• 26 of GLBT youth report having to leave home due
  to negative parental reactions about their
  sexuality

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FRIENDS

• Other youth are not necessarily allies
• Homophobic epithets
• Physical violence
• Become isolated from peers

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SCHOOL

• Lack of support services
• Lack of role models
• Homophobia by teachers and staff

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RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

• Not all churches are accepting

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CONSEQUENCES OF STRESSES

• Suicide
• Negative School Environment
• Homelessness
• Chemical Abuse
• HIV/AIDS

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SUICIDE
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STATISTICS

• Sexual orientation is not often collected in
  public health statistics HIV only one
  consistently
• Therefore, stats on GLBTQ youth are hard to come
  by
• What we do have is from large school based
  studies where sexual orientation has begun to be
  asked and can be cross tabbed with public health
  issues

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STATISTICS, continued

• 42 of GLBTQ youth experience suicidal ideation
• 28 have had at least one suicide attempt in the
  past year
• GLBTQ youth are 2-3 times as likely to commit
  suicide than other youth

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STATISTICS, continued

• Up to 30 of completed teen suicides are by gay
  youth (compared to an estimate of 10 of the
  population is gay or lesbian)
• Nearly all gay and lesbian suicides occur between
  ages 16 and 21

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STATISTICS, continued

• GBQ males are 6.5 times as likely to report
  suicide attempts than heterosexual peers
• LQ females are 2.02 times as likely to report
  suicide attempts than heterosexual peers

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ADDITIONAL PRESSURES

• Discovering self
• Coming out to peers, family, school
• Religious abuse
• Reparative Therapy
• Not suicidal because they are GLBT, suicidal
  because of reactions or fear of reactions by
  peers, family and school

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

• Support youth where they are
• Listen, be nonjudgmental
• Open-minded
• Parent, Family Friends of Lesbians and Gays
  (PFLAG)
• Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs)

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NEGATIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
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SCOPE

• 75.4 of students hear derogatory remarks such as
  faggot, dyke, etc.
• 89.2 hear thats so gay meaning stupid or
  worthless
• 37.8 experience physical harassment because of
  sexual orientation
• 26.1 experience physical harassment because of
  gender expression

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SCOPE, continued

• 17.6 have been physically assaulted because of
  their sexual orientation
• 11.8 have been physically assaulted because of
  their gender expression

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ACADEMICS

• 5 times as likely to skip school because of
  concern for safety
• Twice as likely not to pursue college
• Average GPA is half a grade lower (2.6 vs. 3.1)

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

• Supportive staff
• GSA (Gay/Straight Alliances)
• Comprehensive anti-bullying laws

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HOMELESSNESS

• 26 of GLBT youth are forced to leave home
• 20 - 40 of homeless youth are GLBT
• Homelessness increases the chances of risky
  behaviors

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

• Target aid to GLBT youth
• Set aside space solely for GLBT youth
• Require those receiving public funds prove GLBT
  youth will be treated fairly

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CHEMICAL ABUSE

• Gay male adolescents
• 68 reported alcohol use
• 44 reported drug use
• Lesbian adolescents
• 83 reported alcohol use
• 56 reported drug use

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

• Prevention and intervention programs targeted at
  GLBT youth
• GLBT youth friendly resources

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HIV/AIDS

• Risk is increased by denial of sexual identity
• Unsafe sex
• Substance abuse
• Having to exchange sex for money
• Isolation

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WAYS TO SUPPORT

• Help youth come out in a safe and healthy way
• Help keep families intact
• GLBT specific sex education

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ABSTINENCE-ONLY EDUCATION

• Ignore homosexuality except as a context for HIV
  transmission
• Often overtly hostile to GLBTQ people

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GAY-SENSITIVE HIV INSTRUCTION

• Youth receiving such instruction are less likely
  to engage in risky behavior
• Fewer sexual partners
• Less substance abuse before sex

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TRANSGENDER YOUTH
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SEX DOES NOT EQUAL GENDER

• Sex is between your legs
• Gender is between your ears

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WHAT DOES TRANSGENDER(ED) MEAN?

• Definitions remain fluid
• People who were assigned a gender, usually at
  birth and based on their genitals, but who feel
  this is a false or incomplete description of them

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DSM - GID

• APA removed homosexuality from the DSM in 1973
• APA added gender identity disorder to the DSM in
  1973
• So, pre-homosexuality in children is a mental
  illness, but homosexuality in adults is not????

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DSM - GID

• The disturbance causes clinically significant
  distress or impairment in social, occupational,
  or other important areas of functioning.

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DSM - GID

• We could call it the persecuted minority
  syndrome people need therapy because the rest of
  us are mean to them.
• - George Bley, talking about his son Max

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STRESSES FACED BY TRANS YOUTH

• Little information specific to trans youth

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TG YOUTH

• Dont make assumptions
• Dont assume you know a youths gender
• Dont assume gender identity issues
• Create a safe and open environment
• Support non-stereotypical gender expression
• Use gender-neutral language
• Be informed
• Examine your own beliefs

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TG YOUTH, continued

• Dont be afraid to ask questions
• Seek to fully understand gender identity
• Respect confidentiality
• Know where and when to seek help
• Provide staff and volunteer training
• Protect youth from harassment
• Provide single occupancy bathrooms

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CAUSES OF HOMOSEXUALITY

• Heterosexual questionnaire

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EXERCISE

• Advantages of being straight

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GREAT RESOURCE!

• Outing Yourself by Michelangelo Signorile,
  Simon and Schuster, 1995

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THE STAGES OF COMING OUT

• Identifying yourself
• Recognizing self loathing and creating self
  respect
• Learning the truth about being GLBT
• Meeting other GLBT people
• Developing a family of friends

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STAGES, continued

• Telling your best friend
• Coming out to other friends
• That first talk with family
• Keeping the discussion going with family
• Bringing home your GLBT friends and partners

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STAGES, continued

• Understanding the sexual nature of the workplace
• Letting coworkers find out
• Helping others to come out
• Not thinking about it at all

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COMING OUT ISSUES

• Are you sure about your sexual orientation?
• Are you comfortable with your gay sexuality?
• Do you have support?
• Are you knowledgeable about homosexuality?
• Whats the emotional climate at home?

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COMING OUT, continued

• Can you be patient?
• Whats your motive for coming out now?
• Financial dependence?
• Relationship with parents?
• What is your family moral societal view?
• Is this your decision?

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WHEN YOUTH COME OUT

• Know your own limitations
• Thank the person for their trust and courage
• Respect their confidentiality
• Do not immediately assume they are mentally ill
• Do not assume their SO is the cause of every
  problem they have

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COMING OUT, continued

• Listen
• Be supportive
• Do not assume youth are sexually active or
  knowledgeable
• Anticipate confusion, but dont assume this is a
  phase
• Direct youth to resources

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COMING OUT, continued

• Follow up, when appropriate

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HATCH - OUR VISION

• To achieve a climate of societal acceptance and
  understanding without regard to sexual identity

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HATCH - OUR MISSION

• To provide safe, social environments for GLBT
  youth
• Offer role models and peer support
• Sponsor educational and community outreach
  opportunities to empower GLBT youth to become
  positive contributors to society

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HATCH - OUR PURPOSE

• To provide peer support for GLBT youth which will
  enable them to become viable and responsible
  citizens
• To provide positive role models for GLBT youth
• To educate GLBT youth on health issues such as
  HIV/STDs, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide
  prevention

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OUR PURPOSE, continued

• To develop a variety of human service programs
  related to GLBT youth and educate the public
  about these services
• To promote public education and awareness of the
  personal rights and civil liberties of GLBT people

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THE PROGRAM

• Weekly meetings on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays
• Provide peer support
• Esteem-building activities
• Educational and motivational speakers
• Social and recreational opportunities
• Small group discussions

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QUESTIONS?

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THANK YOU!

• www.hatchyouth.org
• 713.529.3590

www.montrosecounselingcenter.org 713.529.0037