In Rwanda, there's a big problem. Many young people can't read or write. This makes it hard for them to get the health help they need. There are special places called Youth Friendly Health Services (YFHS). They are supposed to help young people with their health questions. But not many people have studied how well these places work for those who can't read. Most stu...
Teen pregnancy is a topic that often focuses on cisgender girls, leaving out important groups like transgender boys and nonbinary youth. These groups, who were assigned female at birth, face unique challenges that are rarely discussed. Research in this area is sadly lacking, which means these teens might not be getting the support they need. Transgender boys and no...
In 2023, a big study was done to see how state laws affect the smoking habits of LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. The focus was on whether having strong legal protections for LGBTQ+ people makes a difference in how many of them smoke cigarettes or use e-cigarettes. The study looked at data from 1, 255 LGBTQ+ individuals aged 15 to 31. The researchers scored each state ...
The Rainbow Project is a five year old initiative that has been making big changes in healthcare. It aims to improve services for LGBTQ+ young people and their families dealing with chronic health issues. It all started in 2020 when a big city hospital decided to make a change. They wanted to make sure services were easy to access and useful for everyone. A key p...
Young men who identify as LGBTQ+ and have sex with other men are at a higher risk of contracting HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a daily pill that can significantly reduce this risk, but adherence can be tricky. Digital health interventions (DHIs) are emerging as a promising way to help these young men stay on track with their PrEP regimen. However, figuring ...
You might think that a lot of U. S. teens are getting gender-affirming medications, right? Well, a recent study says that's not the case. In fact, less than 1 in 1, 000 adolescents with commercial insurance received these medications over a five-year period. This includes puberty blockers and hormones. The study, which looked at insurance claims, found that only aro...
On October 11, the Supreme Court will hear a crucial case, United States v. Skrmetti, regarding Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. The heart of the debate is whether this ban violates the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, which prohibits sex discrimination. Tennessee’s law restricts access to puberty blockers and hormone replacement the...
Imagine this: heart attacks aren't just something to worry about when you're older. They can happen to young people too, and scientists are exploring if our genes hold the key to spotting these early risks. Specifically, they're zeroing in on heart attacks that strike before age 55 in men and 60 in women. The aim? To decipher if our DNA can whisper warnings about hea...