A disturbing new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers are at a higher risk for sexual violence, depression and suicide when compared to their straight peers.

The Health Risks Among Sexual Minority Youth, the first national study on the health risks facing gay and bisexual high school students in the U.S., surveyed more than 15,000 students in grades 9 to 12.

Here are some of the key findings from the report, via NNN:



* Been physically forced to have sex (18% LGB vs. 5% heterosexual) * Experienced sexual dating violence (23% LGB vs. 9% heterosexual) * Experienced physical dating violence (18% LGB vs. 8% heterosexual) * Been bullied at school (34% LGB vs. 19% heterosexual)

The CDC notes that individually, these factors can negatively impact teen’s development. When these factors are combined, they can place young gay people at much higher risk for depression, addiction and suicide.

60% of lesbian, gay and bisexual teens reported feeling so depressed they completely stopped doing some of their routine activities. 40% said they have seriously considered suicide, and an alarming 29% reported having attempted suicide in the past 12 months.

“I found the numbers heartbreaking,” the CDC’s Dr. Jonathan Mermin told The New York Times. “Nations are judged by the health and well-being of their children [and] many would find these levels of physical and sexual violence unacceptable and something we should act on quickly.”

“For lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) students to thrive in their schools and communities, they need to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe and supported,” says the CDC. “[We call] for accelerated action to protect the health and well-being of these young people. Coordinated action by schools and communities is needed to protect LGB students and address the health risks they face. ”

The report, which marks the first time the federal government’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey included sexual identity, found that about 8% of the U.S. high school population, or 1.3 million young people, self-identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

The survey defined sexual minority students as those who self-identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual. It also included those who had sexual contact with only persons of the same sex or with both sexes, but did not include information on transgender or gender-nonconforming students or young people who have dropped out of school or are homeless, as NewNowNext points out.