Do bisexual girls report higher rates of substance use than heterosexual girls? A failure to replicate with incarcerated and detained youth

Abstract

Prior research suggests that sexual minority females, particularly bisexuals, report greater rates of substance use than heterosexuals. However, to our knowledge, no study has compared alcohol/drug use between bisexual and heterosexual incarcerated or detained female youth. The current study pools data from three prior treatment studies with incarcerated or detained adolescent girls that self-identify as bisexual or heterosexual (N=86). Hierarchical regression models were conducted to determine whether 12-month prevalence of alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or other drug use differed between bisexual and heterosexual participants. In contrast to most prior work, no differences were observed. Findings are considered in light of the recruitment setting, which drew a sample with high levels of substance use prevalence.

Keywords: Substance use; bisexual; incarceration; sexual minority; youth.