Hopelab & Well Being Trust 39
Differences by Sexual Orientation
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth (LGBTQ) are more likely than those
who identify as heterosexual to report going online for health informa-
tion, accessing other people's personal health stories online, and
sharing their own health stories.
• Virtually all (98%) young people who identify as lesbian,
gay, or bisexual say they have gone online to find information
about health issues, compared to 86% of those who identify
as straight. There are large differences between straight and
LGBTQ young people in terms of the topics they say they
research online, particularly when it comes to mental health.
LGBTQ youth are far more likely than straight youth to report
having gone online to try to find information about depression
(a 44 percentage point difference), anxiety (a 39 point differ-
ence), sleep disorders (32 percentage points), and "other mental
health issues" (a 20 percentage point difference).
• Eighty-one percent of LGBTQ youth say they have watched
or read other people's health stories online, compared to
57% of straight youth.
• More than one in four (28%) LGBTQ young people report
having shared their own health stories online, compared
to 13% of their heterosexual peers.
• There are no differences between straight and LGBTQ youth
in terms of their reported use of mobile health apps, trying
to find people online with similar health concerns, or using
online resources to connect with health providers.
Source: Hopelab/Well Being Trust Teens and Young Adults Survey,
February-March 2018. N=1,337 young people ages 14-22.
Note: All differences between LGBTQ and straight youth depicted
in this chart are statistically significant at p<.05.
Figure 9: Online health information searches,
by sexual orientation
Among 14- to 22-year-olds, percent who say they
have gone online for information about each topic
32%
36%
22%
4%
40%
76%
75%
54%
24%
68%
Depression
Anxiety
Sleep disorders
Any other mental health issue
Stress
Straight
youth
LGBTQ
youth
Digital Health Practices
Demographic Differences
in Digital Health Use
