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Reply to this post giving an account of LGBTQ+ problems with healthcare.

 

 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) is many terms which include many groups. Lesbian, homosexual women, gay, homosexual man, and women, bisexual, an individual is attracted to both genders, and transgender, an individual who identifies his/her gender as different from their biological gender. There is a lack of appropriate questions related to gender, and sexual orientation in many national, and state surveys. This makes it difficult to estimate how many LBGT individuals are there, and their healthcare needs. LBGT face fear of coming out, discrimination secondary to their sexual orientation, gender orientation, and gender expression. This leads to increased risk for depression, post traumatic disorder, substance abuse, and self-destructive behaviors. They are vulnerable to suicidal behaviors. LGBT community are at increased risk of physical, and sexual abuse, sexual transmitted disease (STD), and mental health issues. This often leads to poorer health outcomes, social inequalities, and healthcare disparities. In social issues, the LBGT community experience increased discrimination, and high rates of interpersonal violence.  (Hafeez et. al., 2017).

            The LBGT community health, and social needs are different at every stage of their lives. In adolescence, and youth there is a higher risk of suffering from bullying, engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, family rejection, and homelessness. In adulthood high risk of drug, and alcohol abuse. LGBT individuals are less likely to have children, during old age they are likely to live alone, and face healthcare barriers resulting from social isolation. In old age they face a lack of culturally competent care, and social services. Many LGBT individuals often feel uncomfortable, and unsafe secondary to discriminatory practices, and attitudes in the healthcare system. The LGBT community have often reported culturally inappropriate care and described that they avoid visiting healthcare centers secondary to the fear of receiving poor care (Medina-Martinez et. al., 2021).

            Nurses are the frontline workers of healthcare, they are usually a patients first point of contact, and their primary healthcare provider. Nurses tend to establish a close relation with the patients. They offer care to a diverse population living within different social contexts. An important part of the nursing role is patient advocacy, especially for the underserved, and marginalized communities. Community health nursing interventions include programmes on sex education, sexual, and gender diversity, and bullying, and suicide prevention. There is a need for gender-affirming, and family centered care to provide the right information to families about sexual orientation, and gender identity. This will allow them to share their stories, encourage respect, and educate them concerning the negative health consequences of parental rejection of the LGBT adolescent, and youth. Community health nurses may use educational interventions, including presentation, standardized patient experiences, debriefing sessions, meetings, e-learning, observational experiences, and small group discussions. All these methods, and other approaches such as scripted interview sessions, and workshops can be useful to train health professionals, and develop cultural awareness of health related to the LGBT community. Educational interventions has proven to be useful to improve the skills, and knowledge related to LGBT competence in healthcare professionals, and nursing students. (Medina-Martinez et. al., 2021).

 

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