Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs Among High-risk LGBT Youth

Background: Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) has been a growing public health problem in the U.S. for the past decade. During this time, limited research has examined NMUPD among high-risk lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender (LGBT) youth.

Methods: Data is based upon cross-sectional surveys of 560 high-risk youth (polydrug users, homeless youth, and injection drug users) aged 18 to 25 reporting current NMUPD, recruited in Los Angeles and New York City from 2008 to 2010. History and current patterns of NMUPD and illicit drug use, and rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) were assessed for LGBT and heterosexual youth.

Findings: Numerous statistically significant differences were observed (p=0.05). LGBT youth were more likely to report problematic history of NMUPD than their heterosexual counterparts. LGBT youth initiated NMUPD one year earlier on average, were prescribed more often, reported higher rates of recent use (last 30 days), were more likely to have injected prescription drugs, and were more likely to report family member's history of NMUPD. Interestingly, illicit drug use did not differ between LGBT and heterosexual youth. Additionally, LGBT youth was more likely than heterosexual youth to be diagnosed with HIV, gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, HSV, HPV, but not with Hepatitis C or scabies.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that NMUPD among high-risk LGBT youth may be an under-reported feature of the larger prescription drug epidemic in the U.S. These findings should be considered when developing or implementing prevention interventions for LGBT youth. The potential relationship between NMUPD and STI necessitates additional research.