Have you ever heard of the LGBTQA+ community? The acronym LGBTQA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, and other sexual orientations. People are around this population every day even if they do not realize it. It is important to understand that this community is just as “normal” as those who are heterosexual. Individuals that are a part of this community are someone’s sister, brother, friend, aunt, uncle, mom, dad, etc. Although, they are just as ordinary as anyone else, they still face a lot of discrimination and hate against them. One of the biggest concerns for the LGBTQA+ community would be health disparities.
When it comes to public health, the health and wellness of the LGBTQA+ community is very important to me. As a student intern at the Scotland County Health Department, I have been working with Health Educator, Savannah Simpson, whom shares the same passion as I do for this community. She has such great ideas about how to do simple things that truly mean a lot for LGBTQA+ people.
One of the projects we explored together was to make gender pronoun stickers for staff and patients (only if they felt comfortable participating) to wear. Gender pronouns are what is used to specifically refer to the person being talked about. However, it is important not to assume someone’s gender based on their appearance so making these stickers allowed for patients (and possible patients of this community) to feel more comfortable to identify themselves without feeling judged. An example would be “She went to go get her lunch from the break room.”
As opposed to heterosexual individuals, LGBTQA+ people often have higher rates of obesity, psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide (healthypeople.gov). This community is more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and violence victimization. Issues like these can arise for them because most people, especially family members, do not accept their lifestyle, or some individuals are homophobic [biphobic, transphobic, etc.], and this community ends up being targeted simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Sexual orientation is who you are attracted to: opposite sex, same sex, both sexes, etc. while gender identity is how someone personally identifies, which may or may not match their birth sex. Additionally, lesbian and bisexual women are less likely to receive pap smears and mammograms, which can lead to a higher risk for breast cancer. Gay and bisexual men are at a higher risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (lgbthealtheducation.org). These health care visits may not happen simply because people in this community fear being judged or discriminated against, or they may not want to share the lifestyle they engage in with a health care provider.
Most of these health issues can be prevented, but more often than not, the LGBTQA+ community deals with discrimination when seeking health care services. Another reason for this could be because of lack of education and training provided for health care workers about this community.
Some ways to decrease discrimination in health care settings are to:
— Create an inclusive environment: Creating a safe space for LGBTQ individuals is very important to reduce their uneasiness of seeing a health professional. The facility could simply revise their intake forms by including options for sexual orientation and gender identity.
— Providers could also ask about the patient’s preferred pronouns and names and use those. Lastly, there could be brochures or even pictures of same-sex couples, transgender individuals, etc. about the LGBTQA+ community in the same place that the patient materials and information are at (lgbthealtheducation.org). This is not only specific to a health care setting, but also places such as school, work, public places, etc.
Finally, since interning at the Scotland County Health Department, I have learned that all health department staff go through extensive training regarding health equity, which includes fair treatment of the LGBTQA+ community. The health department creates an inclusive environment by having brochures about LGBTQA+ individuals that all patients can see, which can help someone of the LGBTQA+ community feel comfortable while using their services.
It is important to understand that the lives of individuals who are a part of the LGBTQA+ community are just as valuable as the lives of heterosexual individuals. The people of the LGBTQA+ community deserve to live happy and healthy lives as well.
For information about the LGBTQA+ community, visit nationalsafespace.org, or contact Savannah Simpson, Health Educator at 910-277-2440.
Jordan Nabors is a UNCP student intern with the Health Education Department at Scotland County Health Department.