LGBTQ+ Health is Public Health

LGBTQ+ health is human health for obvious reasons: they're human.

What isn't always so obvious is the discrimination their community faces in healthcare, and how that hinders our universal pursuit of a healthier world.

The LGBTQ+ community makes up 2.5% of the population in the U.S., but more than 56% of them will face discrimination through blatant prejudice or medical misinformation. In study from only 6 years ago, 80% of first year medical students expressed indirect bias against LGBTQ+ patients, while a startling 50% were explicit about their bias against them. As a result, over 60% of LGBTQ+ people do not get the help they need, when they need it; And for LGBTQ+ people of color, the chances of avoiding proper care double. Whether it festers from ignorance or bigotry, discrimination in healthcare speaks to failure in a system which was intended to use science for the human good since Hippokrates—who believed that all who were willing to take on the responsibility of caring for their fellow person take an oath first and foremost: Do No Harm.

These discrepancies in healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community not only make us reflect on the challenge of living mind-body healthy without support, but illuminates for us the need for a medical and scientific community dedicated to fact, truth, and progress. Education is key to fostering inclusivity through understanding and PRIDE@NU is proud to offer SafeZones trainings to anyone looking to be a leader in a better, brighter, healthier world.

As we value the need for holistic health, through equal emphasis of mind and body, we value what it means for all of us when part of any of us suffer without the entitled care they need.