Sexual attraction and substance use: Findings from the Youth Insights Survey 2016-2018

Adolescence is a developmental period of exploration for both sexuality and substance use. Young people with diverse sexual orientations are disproportionately affected by substance use. This research was undertaken to better understand young people in the Rainbow community.

This brief report explores the relationship between sexual attraction and substance use in Year 10 students (predominately aged 14 to 15 years). It identifies differences of risky behaviour engagement between Rainbow and non-Rainbow young people using pooled data from the 2016 and 2018 Youth Insights Survey.