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Sexual Health in a Social and Cultural Context: a Qualitative Study of Young Latina Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Women

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Abstract

Previous research on sexual minority and Latina women suggests that Latina lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) women may be at high risk for sexually associated and transmitted infections, but research on the sexual health and practices of this population is limited. This qualitative study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and values related to sexual health among a purposive sample of Latina LBQ women living in Seattle, WA. Latina LBQ women (N = 14) were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews about their sexual health through community organizations, flyers posted on college campuses, email and social media advertisements, and participant referrals. In-person semi-structured interviews were conducted and transcribed; transcripts were coded by two independent coders and reviewed for prominent themes. Four main themes emerged: 1) Latina sexual minorities’ sexual health is shaped by their social and cultural contexts, 2) they lack needed sexual health knowledge, 3) their sexual health behaviors vary depending on the relationship status and gender of their partners, and 4) they value taking responsibility for their own sexual health. Further research is needed to better understand sexual health among Latina LBQ women and to identify ways in which their values can be leveraged to promote positive sexual health outcomes.

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Notes

  1. In this paper we use the term lesbian to refer to women who self-identify as lesbians and/or report having sexual or romantic relationships with only women. We use the term bisexual to refer to women who self-identify as bisexuals and/or report having sexual or romantic relationships with both men and women. We use the term queer to refer to women who identify as queer and/or report sexual or romantic relationships that are not heterosexual. We use the term sexual minority to refer lesbian, bisexual and queer women as a group and more generally to people that are not exclusively heterosexual, including both men and women. We use the term transgender to refer to men and women that self-identify as transgender and/or report identifying with a gender that is different from the sex they were assigned at birth.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to extend our appreciation to the women that participated in this study. Dr. Ornelas is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (KL2TR000421). Dr. Williams is supported by a Career Development Award from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) Health Services Research & Development (CDA 12-276) and was a fellow with the Implementation Research Institute (IRI) at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University at the time this research was conducted. IRI is supported through an award from the National Institute of Mental Health (R25 MH080916-01A2) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research & Development Service, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health, the University of Washington, or the VA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Box 359455, Seattle, WA, USA

    Christie A. Santos, Emily C. Williams & India J. Ornelas

  2. Veterans Health Administration (VA) Health Services Research & Development Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Seattle, WA, USA

    Emily C. Williams

  3. Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Julius Rodriguez

Authors
  1. Christie A. Santos
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  2. Emily C. Williams
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  4. India J. Ornelas
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Correspondence to India J. Ornelas.

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Funding

India J. Ornelas is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (KL2TR000421). Emily C. Williams is supported by a Career Development Award from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) Health Services Research & Development (CDA 12–276) and was a fellow with the Implementation Research Institute (IRI) at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University at the time this research was conducted. IRI is supported through an award from the National Institute of Mental Health (R25 MH080916-01A2) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research & Development Service, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health, the University of Washington, or the VA.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Washington Human Subjects Division and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all the participants included in the study.

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Santos, C.A., Williams, E.C., Rodriguez, J. et al. Sexual Health in a Social and Cultural Context: a Qualitative Study of Young Latina Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Women. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 4, 1206–1213 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-016-0327-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-016-0327-8

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