ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in sexual minority youth suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are nearly 3.9 times more likely to experience PTSD than straight or cisgender youth. It finds that nearly 9% of young adult men and 20% of women with sexual minority identities have a lifetime risk of PTSD. Children who exhibit gender nonconformity are among the most vulnerable populations when it comes to childhood victimization. The chapter explores the relationship between childhood gender nonconformity and victimization suggests that gender nonconforming boys are nearly three times more likely to experience sexual abuse during their childhood than cisgender boys. The chapter suggests that LGBTQ youth who engage in survival sex, including sex for pay, food, and/or residence, report that this practice often leads to very risky and dangerous circumstances. Traumatic stress routinely puts youth in situations in which their sense of safety is threatened.
