Abstract
Adolescent women who have sex with women (WSW) and men (WSWM) are a unique group of girls with diverse sexual experiences. Despite having female sexual partners, these girls may be at increased risk for unplanned pregnancies and STIs as many WSW also have sex with men. Sexual histories for these girls should include gender neutral terms, open-ended questions, details of sexual behaviors, and gender of sexual partners. These histories should be conducted in a manner that facilitates honesty and trust while ensuring confidentiality. Heterosexuality should never be assumed. Problematic vaginal discharge from bacterial vaginosis and candida vulvovaginitis may be common complaints among these girls. Adolescent WSW should be offered routine chlamydia screening, HIV testing, and contraception counseling (including LARCs), encouraged to use barrier contraceptive methods, and screened for depression and intimate partner violence. Additionally, referrals to LGBTQ peer support groups may also be helpful in ensuring the wellbeing of these girls.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Institute of Medicine Committee on Lesbian GBaTHIaRGaO. The National Academies Collection: reports funded by National Institutes of Health. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: building a foundation for better understanding. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US) National Academy of Sciences; 2011.
Diamant AL, Schuster MA, McGuigan K, Lever J. Lesbians’ sexual history with men: implications for taking a sexual history. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:2730–6.
Fethers K, Marks C, Mindel A, Estcourt CS. Sexually transmitted infections and risk behaviours in women who have sex with women. Sex Transm Infect. 2000;76:345–9.
Chandra A, Mosher WD, Copen C, Sionean C. Sexual behavior, sexual attraction, and sexual identity in the United States: data from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth. Natl Health Stat Rep. 2011:1–36.
Levine DA, Adolescence CO. Office-based care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. Pediatrics. 2013;132:e297–313.
Muzny CA, Harbison HS, Pembleton ES, Austin EL. Sexual behaviors, perception of sexually transmitted infection risk, and practice of safe sex among southern African American women who have sex with women. Sex Transm Dis. 2013;40:395–400.
Workowski KA, Bolan GA. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2015;64:1–137.
Gorgos LM, Marrazzo JM. Sexually transmitted infections among women who have sex with women. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;53(Suppl 3):S84–91.
Singh D, Fine DN, Marrazzo JM. Chlamydia trachomatis infection among women reporting sexual activity with women screened in Family Planning Clinics in the Pacific Northwest, 1997 to 2005. Am J Public Health. 2011;101:1284–90.
Muzny CA, Sunesara IR, Austin EL, Mena LA, Schwebke JR. Bacterial vaginosis among African American women who have sex with women. Sex Transm Dis. 2013;40:751–5.
Bailey JV, Benato R, Owen C, Kavanagh J. Vulvovaginal candidiasis in women who have sex with women. Sex Transm Dis. 2008;35(6):533.
Allsworth JE, Peipert JF. Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis: 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Obstet Gynecol. 2007;109:114–20.
Muzny CA, Rivers CA, Parker CJ, Mena LA, Austin EL, Schwebke JR. Lack of evidence for sexual transmission of genital Candida species among women who have sex with women: a mixed methods study. Sex Transm Infect. 2014;90:165–70.
Riskind RG, Tornello SL, Younger BC, Patterson CJ. Sexual identity, partner gender, and sexual health among adolescent girls in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2014;104:1957–63.
Ott MA, Sucato GS, COMMITTEE ON ADOLESCENCE. Contraception for adolescents. Pediatrics. 2014;134:e1244–56.
Committee on Adolescent Health Care Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Working Group, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee opinion no. 539: adolescents and long-acting reversible contraception: implants and intrauterine devices. Obstet Gynecol. 2012;120:983–8.
Russell ST, Joyner K. Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: evidence from a national study. Am J Public Health. 2001;91:1276–81.
Marshal MP, Dietz LJ, Friedman MS, et al. Suicidality and depression disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth: a meta-analytic review. J Adolesc Health. 2011;49:115–23.
ACOG Statement on Depression Screening. 2015. http://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/News-Room/Statements/2015/ACOG-Statement-on-Depression-Screening. Accessed 22 Dec 2015.
ACOG Committee Opinion No. 518: intimate partner violence. Obstet Gynecol. 2012;119:412–7.
Chamberlain L, Levenson R. Reproductive health and partner violence guidelines: an integrated response to intimate partner violence and reproductive coercion. San Francisco: Family Violence Prevention Fund; 2010.
Martin-Storey A. Prevalence of dating violence among sexual minority youth: variation across gender, sexual minority identity and gender of sexual partners. J Youth Adolesc. 2015;44:211–24.
Luo F, Stone DM, Tharp AT. Physical dating violence victimization among sexual minority youth. Am J Public Health. 2014;104:e66–73.
Suggested Reading
CDC Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment Guidelines 2015—Special Populations: WSW
Workowski KA, Bolan GA. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2015. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2015;64:1–137. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/specialpops.htm
ACOG Committee Opinion 525: Health Care for Lesbians and Bisexual Women
ACOG Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 525: health care for lesbians and bisexual women. Obstet Gynecol. 2012;119(5):1077. http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Health-Care-for-Underserved-Women/Health-Care-for-Lesbians-and-Bisexual-Women
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Coble, C., Futterman, D. (2018). Case of a Girl with Vaginal Discharge Who Has Sex with Girls. In: Talib, H.J. (eds) Adolescent Gynecology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66978-6_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66978-6_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-66977-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-66978-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)