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Substance Use and Abuse

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Marginality and Global LGBT Communities

Part of the book series: Neighborhoods, Communities, and Urban Marginality ((NCUM))

Abstract

This chapter explores the impact of discrimination, stigma, and bias on the substance use and abuse of LGBT (including MSM or men who have sex with men) individuals in the United States and globally. The chapter discusses prior research demonstrating that substance use (e.g., alcohol, other drugs, and smoking) is a serious public health concern for the general population in the United States (e.g., Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], Results from the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Volume 1. Summary of National Findings, 2012). Additionally, the rates of substance use disorder diagnoses among LGBT and MSM individuals are disproportionately high as compared with heterosexual individuals (e.g., Green & Feinstein, 2012). These elevated rates of substance use disorders combined with higher rates of HIV and some STIs (sexually transmitted infections) among those who identify as LGBT suggest that substance use may be more likely to result in HIV or STIs in LGBT individuals as compared with heterosexuals (e.g., Kahler et al., 2015).

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  1. Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Sheri R. Notaro

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Notaro, S.R. (2020). Substance Use and Abuse. In: Marginality and Global LGBT Communities . Neighborhoods, Communities, and Urban Marginality. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22415-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22415-8_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

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