Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To examine contraceptive methods used by adolescent/young adult women of diverse sexual orientations. STUDY DESIGN: We collected data from 12,902 females, born 1982-1995, from the longitudinal Growing Up Today Study. RESULTS: Compared to heterosexuals, lesbians were half as likely to use contraceptives; other sexual minority subgroups (e.g., bisexuals) were more likely to use contraceptives, particularly long-acting reversible contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS: Many sexual minority women use contraception throughout adolescence/young adulthood, though use is low among lesbians. IMPLICATIONS: With limited contraception use, lesbians miss opportunities for care and need to be brought into the healthcare system in other ways.