As people pass from childhood into lớn their teen years and beyond, their bodies develop and change. So vì their emotions và feelings.
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Adolescence Is a Time of Change
During the teen years, the hormonal và physical changes of puberty usually mean people start noticing an increase insexual feelings. It"s common lớn wonder and sometimes worry about new sexual feelings.
It takes time for many people lớn understvà who they are và who they"re becoming. Part of that involves better understanding of their own sexual feelings và who they are attracted khổng lồ.
What Is Sexual Orientation?
Sexual orientation is the emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction that a person feels toward another person. There are several types of sexual orientation; for example:
Heterosexual. People who are heterosexual are romantically and physically attracted lớn members of the opposite sex: Heterosexual males are attracted lớn females, and heterosexual females are attracted lớn males. Heterosexuals are sometimes called "straight." Homosexual. People who are homosexual are romantically & physically attracted khổng lồ people of the same sex: Females who are attracted lớn other females are lesbian; males who are attracted to lớn other males are often known as gay. (The term gay is sometimes used khổng lồ describe homosexual individuals of either sex.) Bisexual. People who are bisexual are romantically and physically attracted to lớn members of both sexes. Asexual. People who are asexual may not be interested in sex, but they still feel emotionally cchiến bại khổng lồ other people.During the teen years, people often find themselves having sexual thoughts & attractions. For some, these feelings & thoughts can be intense và seem confusing. That can be especially true for people who have lãng mạn or sexual thoughts about someone who is the same sex they are. "What does that mean," they might think. "Am I gay?"
Being interested in someone of the same sex does not necessarily mean that a person is gay — just as being interested in someone of the opposite sex doesn"t mean a person is straight. It"s common for teens to lớn be attracted lớn or have sexual thoughts about people of the same sex and the opposite sex. It"s one way of sorting through emerging sexual feelings.
Some people might go beyond just thinking about it and experiment with sexual experiences with people of their own sex or of the opposite sex. These experiences, by themselves, vị not necessarily mean that a person is gay or straight.
page 1What Is LGBT?
You may see the letters "LGBT" or ("LGBTQ") used lớn describe sexual orientation. This abbreviation stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, & transgender" (or "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, & questioning").
Transgender isn"t really a sexual orientation — it"s a gender identity. Gender is another word for male or female. Transgender people may have sầu the body of one gender, but feel that they are the opposite gender, like they were born into lớn the wrong type of toàn thân.
People who are transgender are often grouped in with lesbian & gay as a way to include people who don"t feel they fit into lớn the category of being "straight."
Do People Choose Their Sexual Orientation?
Why are some people straight và some people gay? There is no simple answer khổng lồ that. Most medical experts, including those at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) và the American Psychological Association (APA), believe sầu that sexual orientation involves a complex mix of biology, psychology, và environmental factors.Scientists also believe a person"s genesvà hormones play an important role.
Most medical experts believe that, in general, sexual orientation is not something that a person voluntarily chooses. Instead, sexual orientation is just a natural part of who a person is.
There"s nothing wrong about being LGBT. Still, not everyone believes that. These kinds of beliefs can make things difficult for LGBT teens.
page 2What"s It Like for LGBT Teens?
For many LGBT people, it can feel like everyone is expected to lớn be straight. Because of this, some gay & lesbian teens may feel different from their friends when the heterosexual people around them start talking about lãng mạn feelings, dating, and sex.
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A 2012 survey by the Human Rights Campaign found that 92% of LGBT teens had heard negative things about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
LGBT teens might feel lượt thích they have to pretover to lớn feel things that they don"t in order to lớn fit in with their group, family, or community. They might feel they need to deny who they are or that they have to hide an important part of themselves.
Fears of prejudice, rejection, or bullying can lead people who aren"t straight to keep their sexual orientation secret, even from friends & family who might support them.
Some gay or lesbian teens tell a few close friends & family members about their sexual orientation. This is often called "coming out." Many LGBT teens who come out are fully accepted by friends, families, and their communities. They feel comfortable about being attracted khổng lồ someone of the same gender.
But not everyone has the same good support systems. Even though there is growing acceptance for LGBT people, many teens don"t have adults they can talk to lớn about sexual orientation. Some live in communities or families where being gay is not accepted or respected.
People who feel they need lớn hide who they are or who fear discrimination or violence can be at greater risk for emotional problems lượt thích anxiety và depression. Some LGBT teens without tư vấn systems can be at higher risk for dropping out of school, living on the streets, using alcohol và drugs, và trying to lớn harm themselves.
Everyone has times when they worry about things like school, college, sports, or friends and fitting in. In addition to lớn these comtháng worries, LGBT teens have an extra layer of things lớn think about, like whether they have to hide who they are.
This doesn"t happen khổng lồ all gay teens, of course. Many gay và lesbian teens và their families have sầu no more difficulties than anyone else.
page 3The Importance of Talking
For people of all sexual orientations, learning about sex and relationships can be difficult. It can help to talk to someone about the confusing feelings that go with growing up — whether that someone is a parent or other family thành viên, a cthua trận frikết thúc or sibling, or a school counselor.
It"s not always easy to find somebody toàn thân to lớn talk khổng lồ. But many people find that confiding in someone they trust (even if they"re not completely sure how that person will react) turns out to lớn be a positive experience.
In many communities, youth groups can provide opportunities for LGBT teens lớn talk lớn others who are facing similar issues. Psychologists, psychiatrists, family doctors, and trained counselors can help them cope — confidentially and privately — with the difficult feelings that go with their developing sexuality. They also help people find ways to lớn khuyễn mãi giảm giá with any peer pressure, harassment, và bullying they might face.
Whether gay, straight, bisexual, or just not sure, almost everyone has questions about physically maturing and about sexual health — like if certain toàn thân changes are "normal," what"s the right way khổng lồ behave, or how khổng lồ avoid sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It"s important khổng lồ find a doctor, nurse, counselor, or other knowledgeable adult to lớn be able to discuss these issues with.
Beliefs Are Changing
In the United States, & throughout much of the world, attitudes about sexual orientation have sầu been changing. Although not everyone is comfortable with the idea of sexual orientation differences and there"s still plenty of prejudice around, being gay is getting lớn be less of a "big deal" than it used khổng lồ be.
