CONCLUSION
There are many ways health disparities exist in the United States, resulting in individuals of various racial/ethnic groups, socioeconomic classes, ages, abilities, genders, and sexual identities experiencing more negative health outcomes. LGBTQQ health disparities exist through all age groups. Youth have higher rates of homelessness, suicide, and mental health issues than their heterosexual peers. Fear of and experiences with discrimination and stigma influence the decision whether to seek healthcare. Insurance coverage, cost, and lack of knowledgeable and experienced providers can
cause a delay in seeking care. This course discussed methods to create a welcoming environment with a focus on primary care. Healthcare professionals in acute and residential care settings can still identify small ways to create a more inclusive environment among their units and possibly address the administration if there are instances of outright bias observed or encountered. Change is reliant on the identification of a situation in need of a different outcome. Self-reflection and an awareness of one’s own biases is a good starting point. ● The Safe Zone Project (https://thesafezoneproject. com/resources/) provides training resources in creating LGBTQQ+/Ally training and many other links to a variety of topics related to sexual minorities. ● Campus Pride Index (https://www.campusprideindex. org/contactus/index) launched in 2007 and provides an assessment of colleges on eight LGBTQ-friendly aspects including safety, housing support, academic and student life, counseling and health, institutional support and commitment, and recruitment: 704-277-6710, M-Th 9-5 EST. ● The Trevor Project (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ about/), founded in 1988, provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention to LGBTQQ people under the age of 25: 866- 488-7386, 24/7. ● In addition to online and telephone service , individuals can chat confidentially via instant messenger or text a counselor any day any time. Text START to 678-678. ● HealthSherpa helps individuals find quality, affordable health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. There are also links for people to become involved in political activism: 855-772-2663 (https://blog.healthsherpa.com/ lgbtq-healthcare-resources/). ● U.S. Office of Special Counsel provides guidelines and factsheets related to complaints of employment-related discrimination in the federal workforce based on sexual orientation or gender (https://osc.gov/Pages/SearchResults. aspx? k=sexual%20discrimination). ● The National Center for Transgender Equality was founded by transgender activists who desired to see policy changes. The site has multiple resources along with an FAQ section, issues relevant to transgender people and their advocates, legal rights information, and self-help guides: 202-642-4542 (https://transequality.org/). These are just a few of the hundreds of available resources. You can search by state and even locally to determine what is in your area. ● Heteronormativity : The assumption that all individuals are heterosexual; heterosexuality is superior. ● HIV+ (Human immunodeficiency virus positive) : Having tested positive for a viral infection that affects CD4 cells, transmitted by contact with blood and body fluids infected with HIV (CDC, 2020a). ● LGBTQQ : Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (also may include additional Q for questioning). ● MSM : Men who have sex with men. ● Non-binary: “NB” or “enby” : A person who does not identify with gender binary of male or female (Healthline, n.d.). ● Pansexual : Person who is emotionally, physically, romantically and/or sexually attracted to people regardless of their gender identity. ● Queer : Term that has been used as a slur, also used to describe individuals with non- normative gender identity, sexual orientation, or sexual anatomy.
RESOURCES
There are several online sites providing education and CME credit related to sexual minority healthcare: ● The National LGBTQQ+ Health Education Center (https:// www.LGBTQhealtheducation.org/resources/) provides free publications, videos, webinars, and learning modules, many with continuing education credits, on multiple topics including providing inclusive healthcare, understanding disparities, and understanding health needs among others. ● The CDC provides a variety of healthcare provider trainings along with some clinical care protocols and resources for HIV prevention and treatment (https://www.cdc.gov/ stophivtogether/hiv-prevention/). ● The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2016) provides recommendations for the healthcare of lesbian and bisexual women (https:// www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee- opinion/articles/2012/05/healthcare-for-lesbians-and- bisexual-women). ● The Health Professional Advancing LGBTQQ Equality (GLMA) , founded in 1988 for physicians and medical students, is now open to members of other health specialties including behavioral health specialists. Their mission is to ensure health equality for all sexual minority individuals. On their resource page, there are links for both patients and providers. They also have free webinars and continuing education related to quality healthcare for LGBTQQ people and assorted publications (http://www.glma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page. viewPage&pageId=534). ● Somos Familia (https://www.familiaesfamilia.org/resources) has multiple resources in Spanish including a cartoon novella about family relationships and acceptance: 510- 725-7764. ● Familia es familia also provides information and links to topics such as family issues, immigration, school, community, discrimination, transgender, same-sex relationships, and student resources for LGBTQ individuals. Many of these are in Spanish and English.
GLOSSARY
Unless otherwise stated, definitions are from New Jersey Institute of Technology (n.d.): ● Ally : A person who supports and respects sexual diversity and acts to challenge homophobic or heterosexist remarks. ● Cisgender : A person whose biological sex matches their gender identity. ● Gender expression : The way a person presents and behaves. ● Gender identity : How one perceives oneself (man, woman, or otherwise); this is internal and cannot be seen by others. ● Healthcare disparity : Inequitable differences in healthcare resulting from differences in insurance coverage, access and availability of care, and quality of care received, leading to disparities (differences) in health and/or outcomes. ● Healthcare provider : A person who is licensed, certified, registered, or otherwise authorized by the law of a state to provide healthcare in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession (Law Insider Dictionary, n.d.).
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Book Code: SWTX1524
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