Approximately one in four high school students identifies as LGBTQ, according to a report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on April 27, The Hill reported.
The CDC's report used data from 2021. More than 17,500 students in 152 schools across the country were surveyed.
In 2021, 75.5 percent of high school students identified as heterosexual, according to the YRBSS. Among high school students, 12.2 percent identified as bisexual, 5.2 percent as questioning, 3.9 percent as other, and 3.2 percent as gay or lesbian; 1.8 percent said they didn't understand the question. The CDC added that the number of LGBTQ students went from 11 percent in 2015 to 26 percent in 2021.
According to the CDC, "The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is a set of surveys that track behaviors that can lead to poor health in students grades nine through 12. The surveys are administered every other year."
Some of the behaviors/experiences that are monitored included substance-abuse behaviors, youth health behaviors/conditions and student demographics (including sex, sexual identity, race and ethnicity, and grade). For example, the "Unintentional Injuries and Violence" section asked if students texted/emailed while driving, experienced sexual violence and felt sad/hopeless, among other things.
From 1991 through 2021, the YRBSS has collected data from more than 5 million high school students through more than 2,200 surveys. For more on YRBSS, visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm.
—Andrew Davis
