Fewer Teens Report LGB Identity in CDC Data
A new analysis of the CDC's 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows a steep drop among ninth-grade girls who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in LGBTQ+
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Jean Twenge's analysis of the CDC's 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found 17% of ninth-grade girls identified as lesbian or bisexual, down from 30% in 2021. The steepest decline was among ninth-grade girls identifying as bisexual, which fell from 26% in 2021 to 13% in 2025.
Why it matters
The shift follows several years of rising LGB identification among young people and marks a reversal in the trend. The survey does not establish what caused the change in reported identity.
Reported bisexual identification among ninth-grade girls fell from 26% in 2021 to 13% in 2025, while LGB identification among ninth-graders dropped from 17% in 2023 to 11% in 2025. The CDC data does not explain the reasons for the change.
The players
Jean Twenge
Jean Twenge is a psychologist and professor at San Diego State University known for research on generational differences and adolescent mental health.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the U.S. federal agency responsible for public health surveillance, including the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
The details
Twenge's analysis of the CDC's 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found declines in reported LGB identification across grade levels, with the steepest drop among ninth-grade girls. Among sexually active ninth-grade girls, reports of at least one same-sex partner also declined. The declines began during the Biden administration.
Timeline
2021: 30% of ninth-grade girls identified as lesbian or bisexual.
2023: LGB identification among 12th-graders and ninth-graders began declining.
2025: The CDC survey recorded 17% of ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual.
Culture Shift
The decline follows the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey's multiyear record of rising LGB identification among U.S. high school students, marking a departure from that trend. Similar reversals in reported identity have not yet been established as a lasting pattern.
The findings may shape how schools, parents and health programs approach questions of teen identity and wellbeing in the coming years. Readers interested in the underlying survey data can follow Twenge's planned analysis of possible explanations.
The takeaway
Changes in how teens report their identity can reflect shifts in social context as well as underlying attitudes, and the data alone cannot say which is driving the trend. Readers should watch for follow-up research testing explanations such as the pandemic, politics and social media.
Further reading
Explore more on LGBTQ+ trends and youth identity research.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Christian Today.
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