LBTQ Latina Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes and Values

Abstract

Previous research on sexual minority and Latina women suggests that Latina LBTQ women may be at high-risk for sexually associated and transmitted infections. However, there has been limited research on the sexual health of women in this population. This exploratory qualitative study examined the knowledge, attitudes and values of Latina LBTQ women living in Seattle, Washington. Latina LBTQ women (N = 15) were recruited using purposive sampling to participate in in-depth 1-on-1 interviews about their sexual health. Data were analyzed in Atlas.ti. Results exposed four themes about Latina LBTQ women: 1) their sexual health is shaped by their social and cultural context, 2) they lack needed sexual health knowledge, 3) they value taking responsibility for their own sexual health, 4) their behaviors vary depending on relationship status and the gender of their partners. Our findings indicate that further research is needed to better understand this population’s sexual health needs and ways in which strengths within contextual factors can be leveraged to contribute to positive sexual health outcomes for this population.