Teen girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual plummet in stunning reversal, new data shows
CDC data reveals sharp decline in 9th‑grade girls identifying as lesbian or bisexual
WASHINGTON, DC—A new set of statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the percentage of ninth‑grade girls who say they are lesbian or bisexual fell dramatically from 30 % in 2021 to 17 % in 2025. The decline also includes a 50 % drop in those who identify as bisexual alone, from 26 % to 13 %. The trend, first highlighted by The Washington Post on October 8, 2026, has researchers probing possible explanations.
The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) – a nationally representative survey of U.S. high‑school students – collected data on sexual orientation during the 2021 and 2025 survey waves. While the proportion of boys who identify as gay or bisexual has remained relatively steady over the past decade, girls’ figures showed a pronounced spike following the COVID‑19 pandemic before the recent slide.
“The data suggest that older teenage girls still report higher levels of same‑sex attraction than before the pandemic,” said CDC officials in the agency’s release. “But the decline among ninth‑grade girls is striking and unprecedented over this short period.”
The sharp fall began while President Joe Biden was in office, a timing that some commentators note does not align with a change in federal administration. Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University, who published an analysis of the 2025 data on her Substack newsletter “Generation Tech,” said the downward trend started during Biden’s term. “It casts doubt on whether a presidential transition could explain the shift,” she told the Washington Post.
The political context has also drawn attention. In a post on X, Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, wrote, “Amazing what happens when you cut the Department of Education and USAID.” His comment, which links federal policy cuts to cultural changes, was interpreted by some as a possible factor behind the decline, though the CDC data do not provide evidence of a causal link.
Experts caution against drawing sweeping conclusions. Walt Heyer, a detransitioner who published Trans Life Survivors in 1983, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that “it’s premature to celebrate this one report as proof of a downward trend. Better to be skeptical and conduct more studies before we put this study in the win column.”
The CDC’s findings also highlight a persistent gender gap in sexual‑orientation reporting. While the percentages for boys have shown little change, the surge among high‑school girls after the pandemic and their subsequent decline point to a complex set of influences that remain unclear.
“More research is needed to understand why certain age groups are reporting different patterns of identity,” said CDC spokesperson Dr. Maya Patel. “Our next steps will involve deeper analyses of demographic, social, and policy variables that could help explain these shifts.”
The data do not yet reveal a clear cause for the decline. Researchers are exploring possibilities ranging from changes in social media use and cultural narratives to broader economic and policy shifts. However, as of now, the CDC’s 2025 survey remains the most comprehensive snapshot of American teens’ sexual‑orientation identities over a multi‑year period.
The CDC will release further updates in 2027, when new waves of the YRBS will be completed. Until then, the 2025 findings will remain a focal point for scholars, policymakers, and advocacy groups debating the factors that shape young people’s self‑identification.