How does discrimination surrounding healthcare access for gay and transgender African American me...

1. Introduction

1.1. Black gay and transgender men endure some of the highest rates of discrimination in the healthcare industry in the United States, and therefore they are some of the most at risk individuals for poor physical and mental health outcomes later in life. All LGBTQ individuals deserve equal access to healthcare and quality of treatment in the U.S., no matter the combination of their race and sexual orientation.

2. Trends

2.1. Much more positive outlook on health treatments of LGBTQ individuals, but many providers still lack the proper training and understanding of homosexuality. These misconceptions discourage the LGBTQ community from seeking healthcare or at the least make them postpone seeking care, and finding alternative may be difficult.

3. Prevalence

3.1. LGBTQ individuals are almost 3 times more likely than others to experience a mental health condition such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder. Fear of discrimination often deters LGBTQ individuals from seeking treatment for physical and mental ailments.

3.2. Gay and bisexual male minorities are the individuals with the highest rates of poor physical health outcomes within the LQBTQ community.

4. Scope

4.1. Racial/ethnic minority groups all across the United States have less access to healthcare, are less likely to seek out care, and receive lower quality care than their Caucasian counterparts, and these risks increase for racial minorities who are also LGBTQ.

5. Preventative Measures

5.1. Early detection and intervention for at-risk groups-- racial/ethnic LGBTQ minorities.

6. Conclude

6.1. Need more longitudinal studies on the lives of gay black and transgender men in order to really hone in on the disparities between these individuals and the rest of the LGBTQ and different racial populations vs. the heterosexual population.

7. Causes & Other Contributing Factors

7.1. Their home lives may have been unstable. 1) Rejection from the family and/or community for coming out as homosexual 2) Come from a broken home, maybe father was never around or parents fought a lot, one parent was either on or sold drugs- impacts health outcomes later on

7.2. Lower socioeconomic status may lead to mental burden, and existing psychiatric illness can lead to lower economic status

7.3. School Non-enrollment

8. Controversies

8.1. The Obama administration overturned many rules set in place by the Bush administration that allowed healthcare providers to deny treatment due to religious beliefs and/or moral reasoning. Now in 2018, the Trump administration has introduced the notion of "religious freedom" for health care workers who object to performing procedures like gender reassignment surgery. They are currently drafting a proposal that outlines when a professional is allowed to deny treatment based on violation of religious beliefs.

9. Potential Solutions

9.1. While doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers absolutely must receive either proper training or rehabilitation necessary for understanding homosexuality, this goes beyond the scope of the clinical world. Institutions and systems in the U.S. will require rigorous policy changes, policy changes that the Trump administration appears to have no interest in pursuing for the time being. We must also bridge the gap between medical care and community uptake with the implementation of networks such as housing and social assistance.