Sexual attraction and experiences in the primary care setting: Examining disparities in satisfaction with provider and health self-efficacy

Abstract

Introduction: To test whether sexual minority males and females report lower satisfaction with primary care providers and lower health self-efficacy relative to heterosexual males and females.

Methods: Data from 535 adolescents who participated in one of two randomized clinical trials conducted in a primary care setting were analyzed. Multiple linear regressions controlling for demographic characteristics and treatment condition were used to examine sexual attraction differences in indicators of satisfaction with provider and health self-efficacy.

Results: Sexual minority and heterosexual youth both endorsed high satisfaction with providers. Relative to heterosexual males, sexual minority males reported lower self-efficacy in reaching their health goals. Relative to heterosexual females, sexual minority females reported lower confidence in positively impacting their own health, and lower self-efficacy in setting goals and working actively to improve their health.

Conclusions: Sexual minority youth may benefit from additional support from health care providers to enhance their health self-efficacy and reach their health goals.

Keywords: Health self-efficacy; Patient satisfaction; Primary care; Sexual orientation.