Abstract
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority (LGB+) South Asian Americans represent a disproportionately underserved and often invisible community in the United States. While issues of sexual violence have been documented in the South Asian American community, little is known on its impact among LGB+ individuals. This study explores the experience of sexual violence, related attitudes, and mental health outcomes among LGB+ South Asian Americans. A community-informed online survey of 18–34-year-old South Asian Americans living near the New York State region, recruited from online social media platforms, was conducted. Study design, implementation, and evaluation occurred in partnership with an advisory board of South Asian young adult representatives; data was analyzed both descriptively and through multivariable logistic regression models. Of the 385 participants who reported their sexuality, LGB+ participants comprised 24.1% (n = 93) of the sample. LGB+ participants were more likely to have experienced rape multiple times (17.2% vs. 9.6%) in bivariate analyses, and higher odds of depression (AOR:3.47, 95%CI:1.61–8.17) in adjusted analyses. Overall, LGB+ South Asian Americans displayed a disproportionate burden of sexual violence and depression. Findings identify policy and research pathways to address sexual violence among LGB+ South Asians.
Highlights
South Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial or ethnic minority group in the United States (US) [1,2]
This diverse community experiences a complex health burden involving both physical health and mental health concerns [3,4]. Contributing to this health burden experienced by many South Asian Americans are structural obstacles related to socio-economic disadvantage, linguistic barriers to service utilization, as well as social and cultural factors which underpin a unique landscape of health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors [5,6]
LGB+ participants were more likely to have experienced contactbased sexual violence (62.4% vs. 59.6%) and rape multiple times (17.2% vs. 9.6%) compared to their heterosexual counterparts
Summary
South Asian Americans (i.e. individuals who trace their ethnic heritage from the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) are the fastest growing racial or ethnic minority group in the United States (US) [1,2]. This diverse community experiences a complex health burden involving both physical health (e.g. diabetes and heart disease) and mental health (e.g. depression) concerns [3,4].
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