The number of teenage girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual has seen a dramatic decrease in recent years, a trend that is puzzling researchers, according to data highlighted by The Washington Post.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, the percentage of ninth-grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual fell from 30% in 2021 to 17% in 2025. Within that group, those identifying solely as bisexual dropped by half, from 26% to 13%.
In contrast, the proportion of boys identifying as gay or bisexual has remained largely consistent over the past decade. The data indicates that while the rates among older teenage girls have stabilized, they remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University, noted in an analysis of the 2025 data that the downward trend began during the Biden administration, suggesting that the shift may not be directly tied to political administrations. "It’s premature to celebrate this one report as proof of a downward trend," said Walt Heyer, an author and individual who detransitioned, cautioning against drawing definitive conclusions without further research. "Better to be skeptical and conduct more studies before we put this study in the win column."
The available data does not yet explain the reasons behind this shift, particularly why it appears to affect certain age groups differently.