Health and Wellness Cluster

Co-PIs: Megan Threats, Madina Agénor, Nkiru Nnawulezi, Keosha Bond, and John Jackson

A collaboration between a team of researchers from Rutgers University, Brown University, Johns Hopkins, City University of New York, and the University of Maryland – Baltimore County. Black lesbian, bisexual, queer, and other sexual minority (LBQ+) women face barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health services. Interpersonal sexual orientation and racial discrimination independently undermine sexual and reproductive health services use among U.S. women. However, very few studies have examined whether and how interpersonal sexual orientation and racial discrimination simultaneously affect sexual and reproductive health services use among Black LBQ+ women. Structural sexual orientation and racial discrimination (e.g., laws, policies) have been linked to poor health and health care outcomes among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) and Black individuals, respectively. However, studies investigating associations between structural sexual orientation and racial discrimination and sexual and reproductive health are scarce, and no study of which we are aware has focused on Black LBQ+ women in particular. We will conduct a national online survey of Black LBQ+ U.S. women aged 18-44 years (N=350) to investigate how both interpersonal and structural sexual orientation and racial discrimination influence sexual and reproductive health services use among Black LBQ+ women.