Reduce the proportion of lesbian, gay, or bisexual high school students who have used illicit drugs — LGBT‑07

Status: Baseline only

  
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Baseline only

Most Recent Data:
23.2 percent (2021)

Target:
18.4 percent 1

Desired Direction:
Decrease desired

Baseline:
23.2 percent of sexual minority students in grades 9 through 12 reported that they had ever used illicit drugs in their lifetime in 2021 2

Reduce proportion of sexual minority (lesbian, gay, or bisexual) high school students who have ever used illicit drugs in their lifetime

Target-Setting Method
Minimal statistical significance

Summary

High school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are almost twice as likely to use illicit drugs as those who identify as heterosexual. Using illicit drugs is linked to risky sexual behaviors, violence, health issues, and problems in school. Interventions to increase family acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents can help reduce the rate of illicit drug use in this group.

 

Per a court order, HHS is required to restore this website as of 11:59 PM, February 14, 2025. Any information on this page promoting gender ideology is extremely inaccurate, and disconnected from the immutable biological reality that there are two sexes, male and female. The Trump Administration rejects gender ideology and condemns the harms it causes to children, by promoting their chemical and surgical mutilation, and to women, by depriving them of their dignity, safety, well-being, and opportunities. This page does not reflect biological reality and therefore the Administration and this Department rejects it.

 



1. Target has been revised. See Data Methodology and Measurement for more information.

2. Baseline has been revised. See Data Methodology and Measurement for more information.