Exposure to conversion therapy, which attempts to change one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity, may increase several risk factors for cardiovascular disease in young people, a study published today in JAMA Network Open has found.
James K. Gibb, M.Sc., M.A., of Northwestern University, and colleagues examined data from 703 people who participated in RADAR, an observational study following transgender women, gender-nonconforming individuals, and men who have sex with men between the ages of 16 and 29. Participants in RADAR have follow-up visits every six months at which they provide blood samples, have their blood pressure taken, and are evaluated for HIV risk, substance use, and other social and psychological measures.
This analysis included data from the follow-up visit scheduled between December 2023 and October 2024; this marked the first visit in which researchers assessed the participants’ exposure to conversion therapy by asking, “Have you or any person with authority (parent, caregiver, counselor, community leader, etc.) ever tried to change your sexual orientation or gender identity?”
Overall, 10.2% of the sample reported exposure to conversion therapy. Among those, 58.3% reported a year or less of exposure, while 41.7% reported more than a year. The mean age of first exposure was about 13 years, with the mean age of last exposure about 16.5 years. More than half reported exposure due to a parent.
After adjusting for sociodemographics, the researchers found that systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and systemic inflammation index (based on levels of inflammatory proteins in blood samples) were 4.45 mm Hg, 3.58 mm Hg, and .72 points higher, respectively, in participants who were exposed to conversion therapy compared with those without exposure. The increases were more profound in participants with more than a year of exposure. Results were similar after the researchers further adjusted for body mass index, HIV status, and tobacco use.
The researchers noted several possible mechanisms for increased cardiovascular risk after exposure to conversion therapy, including chronic stress and epigenetic changes.
“Our findings support and extend the evidence illustrating a deleterious effect of [conversion therapy] on psychosocial health,” the researchers wrote. “Our findings also support bans on [conversion therapy] and enforcement of existing bans to eventually eliminate the adverse health consequences associated with these practices.”
For related information, see the Psychiatric News article “‘Conversion Therapy’ Misleads, Harms Patients.”
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