Population Council, New York, NY, USA.
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Aug 30;23(1):1664. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16443-8.
There is a lack of reliable data on the size, characteristics, and experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) young people (ages 10-24) in low- and lower-middle- income countries (LMICs). This review examines the research conducted in the last thirteen years with and about SGM young people living in low-income settings and seeks to answer the question: What is known about the mental and physical health needs, safety, and wellbeing of SGM young people living in LMICs?
We conducted a scoping review informed by the methodological frameworks put forth by Arksey and O'Malley and the Joanna Briggs Institute. We systematically searched two general social science databases and one topic-specific database for peer-reviewed papers, of any research design, that included SGM young people or explored attitudes toward SGM young people in LMICs. We included papers that reported on factors influencing the health and wellbeing of SGM populations, including physical and mental health, healthcare-seeking behaviors, substance use, experiences of discrimination and/or stigma, experiences of violence and abuse (emotional, physical, and/or sexual), economically motivated paid sex practices, housing or economic security, and attitudes of others toward SGM populations.
Of the 5,409 unique records identified, 79 papers drawing from data collected from 74 unique studies met the inclusion criteria. Only 50 of the 79 papers included SGM young people as participants, with just 13 focusing exclusively on SGM young people ages 10-24. The included papers were classified into three thematic groupings: attitudes toward SGM populations (n = 26), risks to health (n = 40), and experiences of stigma and discrimination (n = 13).
The findings indicate that the health and wellbeing of SGM young people in LMICs has been historically under-researched. While SGM young people have received more attention from researchers in recent years, the body of literature as a whole is disjointed and sparse, and often studies are about SGM young people, rather than with and for them. Our review highlights the need for more and better research, more accurate and disaggregated demographic data, and leadership and participation of SGM-led community-based organizations in the co-design of studies that focus on SGM young people.
在低及中低收入国家（LMICs）中，关于性少数群体和跨性别青年（10-24 岁）的规模、特征和经历的可靠数据十分匮乏。本综述检查了过去十三年中在低收入环境中生活的性少数群体和跨性别青年进行的研究，并试图回答以下问题：生活在 LMICs 的性少数群体和跨性别青年的心理健康和身体健康需求、安全和福祉状况如何？
我们以 Arksey 和 O'Malley 提出的方法框架和 Joanna Briggs 研究所为指导，进行了范围综述。我们系统地在两个综合社会科学数据库和一个专题数据库中搜索了同行评议的论文，这些论文的研究设计各不相同，其中包括性少数群体和跨性别青年，或探讨了 LMICs 中对性少数群体和跨性别青年的态度。我们纳入了报告影响性少数群体和跨性别青年健康和福祉的因素的论文，包括身心健康、寻求医疗保健的行为、药物使用、歧视和/或污名的经历、暴力和虐待的经历（情感、身体和/或性）、出于经济动机的有偿性交易做法、住房或经济保障，以及他人对性少数群体和跨性别青年的态度。
在 5409 条唯一记录中，有 79 篇论文符合纳入标准，这些论文的数据来源于 74 项不同研究。只有 50 篇论文包含了作为参与者的性少数群体和跨性别青年，只有 13 篇论文专门关注 10-24 岁的性少数群体和跨性别青年。这些论文被分为三个主题组：对性少数群体的态度（n=26）、健康风险（n=40）和耻辱和歧视经历（n=13）。
研究结果表明，历史上对 LMICs 中性少数群体和跨性别青年的健康和福祉关注较少。尽管近年来研究人员对性少数群体和跨性别青年的关注有所增加，但整个文献体系仍然是不连贯和稀疏的，而且往往是研究对象是性少数群体和跨性别青年，而不是与他们一起或为他们进行研究。我们的综述强调了需要进行更多和更好的研究、更准确和分类的人口数据，以及由性少数群体领导的社区组织在以性少数群体和跨性别青年为重点的研究的共同设计中的领导作用和参与。
