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Corliss, Heather

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Corliss

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Heather

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Corliss, Heather
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    Sexual orientation differences in teen pregnancy and hormonal contraceptive use: an examination across 2 generations
    (Elsevier BV, 2013) Charlton, Brittany; Corliss, Heather; Missmer, Stacey; Rosario, Margaret; Spiegelman, Donna; Austin, Sydney
    OBJECTIVE: To examine whether sexual orientation is associated with disparities in teen pregnancy and hormonal contraception use among adolescent females in 2 intergenerational cohorts. STUDY DESIGN: Data were collected from 91,003 women in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), born between 1947-1964, and 6463 of their children, born between 1982-1987, enrolled in the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS). Log-binomial models were used to estimate risk ratios for teen pregnancy and hormonal contraception use in sexual minorities compared with heterosexuals and metaanalysis techniques were used to compare the 2 cohorts. RESULTS: Overall, teen hormonal contraception use was lower and teen pregnancy was higher in NHSII than GUTS. In both cohorts, lesbians were less likely, whereas the other sexual minorities were more likely, to use hormonal contraception as teenagers compared with their heterosexual peers. All sexual minority groups in both cohorts, except NHSII lesbians, were at significantly increased risk for teen pregnancy, with risk ratios ranging from 1.61 (95% confidence interval, 0.40-6.55) to 5.82 (95% confidence interval, 2.89-11.73). Having an NHSII mother who was pregnant as a teen was not associated with teen pregnancy in GUTS participants. Finally, significant heterogeneity was found between the 2 cohorts. CONCLUSION: Adolescent sexual minorities have been, and continue to be, at increased risk for pregnancy. Public health and clinical efforts are needed to address teen pregnancy in this population.
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    Reproductive Health Screening Disparities and Sexual Orientation in a Cohort Study of U.S. Adolescent and Young Adult Females
    (Elsevier BV, 2011) Charlton, Brittany; Corliss, Heather; Missmer, Stacey; Frazier, Lindsay; Rosario, Margaret; Kahn, Jessica A.; Austin, Sydney
    Purpose To examine sexual orientation group disparities in Pap and STI/HPV tests among adolescents and young adult females. Methods Survey data from 4,224 adolescents and young adults aged 17-25 who responded to the 2005 wave questionnaire of the Growing Up Today Study were examined cross-sectionally with multivariable generalized estimating equations regression. We examined associations between sexual orientation and reproductive health care utilization as well as abnormal results with completely heterosexuals as the referent group, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, geographic region, and sexual history. Results After accounting for sociodemographics and sexual history, mostly heterosexual/bisexual females had 30% lower odds of having a Pap test within the last year and almost 40% higher odds of being diagnosed with an STI, as compared to the completely heterosexual group. Additionally, lesbians had very low odds of having a Pap test in life (OR=.13, p-value=<.0001) and having a Pap test within the last year (OR=.25, p-value=.0002), compared to completely heterosexuals. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that sexual minority adolescent and young adult women underutilize routine reproductive health screenings including Pap smears and STI tests. Providers and health educators should be aware of these disparities so that they can provide appropriate care to young women and their families and ensure that all young women receive reproductive health screening. Further research is needed to explore reasons sexual minority females are not accessing care as recommended since this may suggest opportunities to improve reproductive health screenings as well as broader health care access issues.