Serving LGBTQ youth through digital support

groupsNicole Levitz

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

LGBTQ participants were from 27 states (n=92)

2 in-person focus groups in Seattle, WA

2 in-person focus groups in Dallas, TX

8 national focus groups 20 personal

online/telephone interviews

Participant Demographics AlabamaAlaskaArizona

ArkansasCaliforniaDelaware

FloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndiana

LouisianaMassachusetts

MarylandMichigan

MinnesotaMississippiMontanaNebraska

New JerseyNew York

North CarolinaOhio

OklahomaTennessee

TexasVirginia

Washington

Participant Demographics

Age 15 Age 16 Age 17 Age 18 Age 19 Age 20

17% 18% 25% 18% 20%1%

White Latino Black Mixed Asian Native

52%

16% 14% 11% 5% 1%

Participant Demographics (N=92)Gay Man

Queer

Lesbian

Questioning

Bi Female

Pansexual

Bi Male

36%

27%

25%

18%

17%

10%

7%

Male 34%

Female 34%

Gender Queer, Gender Fluid or Non-

binary18%

Transgender 14%

Social and emotional health concerns predominate and can be an obstacle to physical health and taking care of oneself

Youth consistently express a need for support and community

Youth need their parents to be more supportive, understanding, and accepting

Issues for different identity groups are different Youth can and do find support and community online,

and they want more and better resources to do this

Key themes

Online support groups for youth via chat Facilitated by experienced counselors

Synchronous experience

Optimal number of participants in each group

Digital LGBTQ Center

Not a typical behavior to engage in support groups

Even less typical of digital behavior

Need to create a safe(r) space

Support Groups

Convey safe(r) space for LGBTQ youth

Ground rules actively set

Orient users about what to expect in advance

Enable administrators to remove individuals with bad intentions

Goals for the implementation

Safe(r) space for LGBTQ youth

Ground Rules

Orientation to what to expect in advance

Administrator Removal

THANK YOU!

Nicole LevitzNicole.levitz@ppfa.org