The LGBT community has continued to face discrimination and stigma although the social acceptance across the globe is improving. The stigma results in negative experiences that together with the lack of access to informed and culturally aware health professionals lead to several health problems among the LGBT community.
With this in mind, it goes a long way to show the dire need for the provision of inclusive and high-quality health services for the LGBT community. First, we will take a deeper look into some of the other issues that may impact the well-being and health of LGBT individuals apart from health disparities;
LGBT Health across the Course of Life
When it comes to understanding the impact of some of these social, interpersonal and structural challenges that affect LGBT health, it is important to get to know patients as individuals who experience it first-hand.
The LGBT Youth and Adolescents
The youth in the gender and sexual minority face particular challenges in addition to steering through all the development issues that come about with adolescence. LGBT youth have to establish a sense of their gender and sexual identity and decide when and to whom they should “come out”. LGBT youth will be often confronted by social shunning and rejection from their own families. Severe cases have seen some being completely expelled from their home. Such severe cases have contributed heavily to the burden of homelessness among LGBT youth.
Despite these challenges, LGBT youth and even adults have shown incredible resilience to the challenges life has thrown at them. Accepting the young adults and adolescents has proven to lead to improved self-esteem, better health results and protection against depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation.
The LGBT Adults
Much like their heterosexual counterparts, LGBT adults enter into romantic relationships. Beyond child-rearing and marriage, they may face some unique challenges as they grow older. Most of today’s LGBT seniors were brought up in a society that had the least acceptance of the LGBT community and this may cause them to harbour great fear of discrimination and stigma. These fears become particularly serious when elderly LGBT individuals are no longer capable of living independently and have to move into a community housing arrangement. This prompts most elderly LGBT members to newly hide their sexual orientation after years of living openly.
LGBT elders have fewer options for family support in the face of disability and illness as they are less likely to bear children or desire one at an advanced age. Unmarried LGBT individuals lack the access to survival, spousal or death benefits through social security and this may lead them to be disadvantaged by the passing on of a partner.
The Importance of LGBT Health
Elimination of these health disparities and enhancing the efforts to better LGBT health is necessary to enable LGBT individuals to lead long and healthy lives. By doing this the following benefits will be felt throughout society;
- The cost of health care will reduce.
- Fewer cases of disease transmission and progression.
- The improved physical and mental well-being of LGBT individuals.