Substance abuse factors among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals

National surveys have estimated that 2%–11% of Americans self-identify as LGBTQ,1 yet as a population, these individuals have historically been underrepresented in addiction research. As scientists have worked over the past three decades to remediate this gap, substance use characteristics and treatment factors present among the LGBTQ population have begun to emerge.