Navigating Risk Discourses and Reimagining Minority Health: An Examination of Sexual and Reproductive Health among LGBQ+ Latina College Students

• In Event: Intersectionality as critical framing: New knowledge about identity, belonging and resistance

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ+) young adults desire wellness (Hoffman et al. 2009), yet mainstream resources predominantly highlight LGBQ+-related risks (Russell 2005). Racial/ethnic identities also shape sexual risk discourses, particularly for young Latina women who encounter heteronormative, racist societal messages (Garcia 2009). While Latina college students face stereotypically gendered and sexual expectations (Sy and Romero 2008), less is known about how multiply marginalized college students manage risk discourses. Through qualitative interviews with 30 LGBQ+ Latina college students in the Rio Grande Valley, I intersectionally examine how they navigate dominant societal messages of risk surrounding their sexual and reproductive health.

Presenter

• Rachel M Schmitz, Oklahoma State University