ATLANTA — Gay and bisexual high school students are more likely than their heterosexual peers to engage in risky behavior such as drinking and smoking, according to a study released on June 6 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers asked 156,000 students about dozens of behaviors, such as wearing a bicycle helmet, drug use and suicide attempts, the Associated Press reports. Gay, lesbian and bixsexual students reported worse behavior in half to 90 percent of the risk categories, depending on the location of the survey.
While a reason for this is not known, the study’s lead author, Laura Kann, said that risk behaviors are often related to how people feel about themselves and their environment. Gay, lesbian and bisexual students deal with stigma, disapproval and social rejection.
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