LGB people exhibited elevated use of multiple inhalant types.
This is according to a study – “Examining Inhalant Use Among Sexual Minority Adults in a National Sample: Drug-Specific Risks or Generalized Risk?” by Megan S. Schuler and Rajeev Ramchand – that appeared in LGBT Health.
The study eyed to compare use of 12 specific inhalants among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults relative to heterosexual adults among a national sample. For this, the researchers used data on 210,392 adults, including 15,007 LGB adults, from the 2015 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. For each inhalant type, logistic regression was used to characterize differences by sexual identity and gender. Unadjusted and demographic adjusted odds ratios are reported.
The researchers found:
- All LGB groups exhibited elevated use of multiple inhalant types (ranging from 5 for gay males to 12 for bisexual females)
- The largest disparities were for poppers among gay and bisexual males; gay and bisexual males initiated use at older ages
Observed disparities among LGB adults included inhalants used in a sexual or club context (e.g. poppers) as well as types with particularly elevated fatality risk (e.g. butane, propane, aerosol sprays, and nitrous oxide).
