Patterns and correlates of dating and intimate relationship involvement among sexual minority adolescents

Abstract

Shifts in societal attitudes and beliefs about sexual minority people may provide sexual minority youth with more opportunities to engage in intimate relationships during adolescence. To date, however, the degree to which sexual minority adolescents are involved in relationships and the factors related to such involvement are not well understood. The current study addressed this gap using data from a national sample of over 15,000 sexual minority adolescents. Twenty-nine percent of adolescents were currently dating; 70% had ever dated, and 57% had ever engaged in a nonheterosexual intimate relationship. Multivariable logistic regression models indicated that participants who were older, gender diverse, and plurisexual had a greater likelihood of dating involvement, whereas asexual participants had a lower likelihood of dating involvement. Partially supporting hypotheses, participants who reported higher levels of intrapersonal sexual stigma were less likely to be currently dating or to have ever dated. Contrary to hypotheses, participants who reported higher levels of interpersonal sexual stigma had a greater likelihood of dating involvement, and living in states with higher sexual stigma was associated with a greater likelihood of having ever dated or having ever engaged in a nonheterosexual relationship. Results reveal that many sexual minority youth are or have previously been involved in an intimate relationship and provide initial insights into factors associated with such involvement. These findings call for further research on sexual minority adolescents’ intimate relationships and for inclusive relationship and sexual health education to promote positive relationships among this group.