Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Sexual minority individuals are at higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, as well as PTSD, trauma exposure, and earlier age of trauma exposure. However, little research has explored the relationship between PTSD, trauma histories, and adverse pregnancy outcomes in this population. To address this gap, we analyzed data from The Nurses' Health Study (NHS), a large, prospective, and intergenerational cohort. Now in the third generation of data collection, the NHS cohort began in 1976 and includes more than 275,000 participants in the US and Canada. For this analysis, we utilized data from participants who had reported a pregnancy in their lifetime, sexual orientation, and trauma/PTSD. First, we examined differences in prenatal PTSD diagnosis, PTSD symptoms, and experiences of traumatic events across sexual orientation groups. Next, we examined whether traumatic events, PTSD symptoms, or diagnosis was related to six adverse pregnancy outcomes (such as gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia/toxemia, preterm birth, low birthweight, macrosomia) across sexual orientation groups. Our preliminary findings indicate that sexual minority people experience higher rates of PTSD symptoms and earlier onset of traumatic event exposure compared to their heterosexual counterparts. *Analyses examining adverse pregnancy outcomes across both sexual orientation and PTSD/trauma are forthcoming. Paper submission aimed for June 18, 2025 for a special issue in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.