Despite several court rulings explicitly protecting LGBTQ+ patients against discrimination in healthcare on the basis of gender identity and sex stereotypes, people in the community still encounter it on a disturbingly frequent basis.

According to a recent survey from the Center for American Progress, LGBTQ+ patients have experienced:

• Being refused appointments and/or care by doctors, based on the patients’ sexual orientation and/or gender
• Fondling, sexual assault, and rape by a healthcare provider
• Refusal to recognize same-sex partners as patients’ family members
• Coarse, and even abusive, language from a healthcare provider
• Refusal to use the correct gender or name during a medical exam or treatment

Even the babies of same-sex parents have been refused care. From outright discrimination to microaggressions, hostile or judgemental attitudes toward LGBTQ+ people can inhibit their ability and willingness to access needed healthcare. When we know better, we do better, as the saying goes. Here are some tips from the experts, to help promote inclusivity in your healthcare practice.

Upon Meeting a New Patient

The first few minutes of an office visit can be the most important part of any medical encounter, says Jane van Dis, MD, Medical Director for Business Development for Greenville, South Carolina’s OB Hospitalist Group. Providers should be careful not to make assumptions based upon how patients look, speak, walk, gesture, or dress. Ask LBGTQ+ patients to identify their gender, what sex they were assigned at birth, and which pronouns currently apply to them.

A 2017 Johns Hopkins Medicine survey study published in JAMA revealed that 80% of doctors assumed patients wouldn’t want to discuss their sexual orientation, but only 10% of patients reported being unwilling to answer that question if asked by their doctor. Gender and sexual practices can impact both mental and physical health and care, so nothing should be overlooked or avoided. Lesbians, for instance, may still have sex with men, so pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention and/or care may be relevant and needed. 

Normalizing Inclusivity

Timothy Wang, MPH, Senior Policy Analyst at Boston’s Fenway Institute, which conducts research affecting LGBTQ+ health, encourages doctors to collect information about patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity either during intake or through a patient portal, while reassuring the patients that their information is confidential and their participation optional.  

He also recommends that providers post non-discrimination notices at various locations throughout their offices, to make it clear to all that they do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. “It’s important to have it in the waiting areas and clinic rooms so staff and patients can easily see and identify their policies and know they are protected.”

*Worth, T. (2019, July 24). How Do You Treat LGBTQ+ Patients? Renal & Urology News. https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/departments/practice-management/LGBTQ+-transgender-medical-care/