CDC Data Reveals Sharp Drop in LGB Identification Among Teenagers Since 2021
A CDC youth behavior survey found that the percentage of high school students identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual declined significantly between 2021 and 2025, with particularly steep drops among younger girls identifying as bisexual. The trend reverses a sharp increase that occurred between 2019 and 2021, when pandemic lockdowns and online activity coincided with heightened cultural messaging around sexual identity. The survey data suggests the earlier spike may have reflected temporary social influences rather than stable identity development.
The CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, administered biennially to high school students nationwide, documented substantial declines in LGB identification between 2021 and 2025. The most dramatic shift occurred among ninth-grade girls identifying as bisexual, dropping from 26% to 13% over four years. Similar though less pronounced decreases appeared across all grade levels and both genders.
This reversal followed a sharp expansion from 2019 to 2021, when bisexual identification among ninth-grade girls nearly doubled from 12.5% to 26%. The article notes the CDC's official website currently displays only pre-January 2025 data due to what it characterizes as a court order related to content concerns from the Trump Administration.
This trend may influence ongoing debates about adolescent mental health, identity development, and social influences on teenagers. Educators and health professionals could face questions about how to support youth identity exploration while evaluating which shifts reflect stable development versus temporary social pressures. The data's interpretation—whether representing genuine changes in youth experiences or measurement variations—may affect policy discussions around school curricula, counseling resources, and how institutions address student wellbeing. Parents and policymakers may use these findings differently depending on underlying assumptions about sexual identity formation.