Sexual Behavior in Sexual Minority Women and Connections with Discrimination

This study examined the prevalence and forms of sexual behavior in a sample of sexual minority women (SMW) with a history of experiencing discrimination. One hundred fifty ethnically diverse lesbian, bisexual, queer, and other non-heterosexual-identified cisgender women completed a national online survey. Rates of sexual behavior over the past 6 months were high, including having sex with someone who had had many sexual partners (40.7%), engaging in cunnilingus without protection (64%), and having sex under the influence of substances (56.7%). A canonical correlation found that heterosexist experiences and sexual behaviors had 20.7% overlapping variance. Experiences of heterosexism by individuals in service jobs, strangers, or those in helping professions were tied to engagement in more impulsive sexual behaviors. Multiple linear regressions found that heterosexism explained 19.3% of the variance in impulsive sexual behaviors, 8.6% in sex with uncommitted partners, and 8.8% in intent to engage in sexual behaviors. Despite the high rates of sexual behavior found in this study, a focus on sexual behaviors among SMW has largely been omitted from health research. Based on the current findings, interventions for addressing sexual behaviors in SMW as well as future research directions are discussed.