Young Queer Community Members Faced Higher Discrimination in Albania During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Elona Gjebrea Sr; Dorina Toçi Sr; Juna Mali Jr; Livia Hoxha Jr

doi:10.7759/cureus.43674

Young Queer Community Members Faced Higher Discrimination in Albania During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cureus. 2023 Aug 17;15(8):e43674. doi: 10.7759/cureus.43674. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Elona Gjebrea Sr¹, Dorina Toçi Sr², Juna Mali Jr³, Livia Hoxha Jr⁴

Affiliations

¹ Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Albanian Center for Population and Development, Tirana, ALB.
² Department of Public Health Performance and Chronic Diseases, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, ALB.
³ Epidemiology and Public Health, Albanian Center for Population and Development, Tirana, ALB.
⁴ Economic Development and Professional Training, Ministry of Finance and Economy, Tirana, ALB.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has hit vulnerable populations harder. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the negative personal impacts and discrimination experienced by the LGBTQ+ community in Albania during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Albania in 2021, as a part of a larger multicenter study conducted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN). Binary logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of feeling discriminated, ashamed, or afraid due to sexual orientation, adjusting for main confounding factors.

Results: In total, 279 youngsters aged 14-30 years were included in this study. Of these, 55 participants or 19.7% self-declared as LGBTQ+. Significantly higher proportions of LGBTQ+ were older and of Albanian ethnicity, whereas lower proportions were not married/cohabiting compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants. Significantly higher proportions of LGBTQ+ members have felt discriminated (32.7%), ashamed to discuss about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues of concern (32.7%), afraid to express their sexual orientation (45.5%), and lacked privacy to discuss SRH issues with people of trust (36.4%) compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants (5.4%, 15.2%, 4%, and 17.4%, respectively). LGBTQ+ participants were 19.57 times more likely to feel discriminated because of their sexual orientation and 25.05 times more likely to be afraid to express their sexual orientation compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants.

Conclusion: The LGBTQ+ community in Albania was more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to non-LGBTQ+ participants. The findings should guide future interventions for addressing the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in emergency situations.

Keywords: albania; covid-19; discrimination; lgbtq+; pandemic; queer; young people.

Grants and funding

International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) coordinated this study in the framework of the "Youth Voices, Youth Choices" project, implemented by the Albanian Centre for Population and Development (ACPD) in Albania and other (4) Balkan countries (Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Kosova) and supported by Merck through its "Merck for Mothers" program.