Analyzing Healthcare Barriers and Interventions for the LGBT Community

This essay discusses the barriers preventing LGBT individuals from effectively utilizing healthcare services, emphasizing factors such as biological considerations, psychological stigma, socio-cultural norms, behavioral patterns, and environmental influences. It highlights how assigned gender at birth, personal trauma, societal rejection, and the desire to conceal certain behaviors can deter LGBT individuals from seeking medical care. The essay also proposes nursing interventions to improve healthcare access, including ensuring equal insurance coverage, establishing an LGBT-dedicated office within the Department of Health and Human Services, fostering trust in patient-provider relationships, and respecting individual privacy. By addressing these issues, healthcare providers can create a more inclusive and supportive environment, ultimately improving the health and well-being of the LGBT community.

Running head: LGBT 1
LGBT
Name
Institution

LGBT 2
Failure of LGBT to Use Health Care Services
The right to health is universal and everyone has the right of access to any healthcare service
without any form of discrimination. Several countries, however, are guilty of violating this
fundamental right especially when it comes to the LGBT individuals. The LGBT community
receive poor quality service at health care centers due to stigma, insensitivity, and the lack of
awareness by the healthcare providers. There are several factors that may contribute to the failure
of this group of people to use health care services. These factors range from biological,
psychological, socio-cultural, behavioral, and environmental among others.
An individual may be assigned a particular gender at birth due to their biological appearance.
They may, however, chose to conform to another gender that they feel suits them. This may
prevent the individual from using healthcare service as they feel they do not want to express
themselves in a particular gender that is perceived by others (Harcourt, 2013). Psychological
factors may include stigma and trauma. Additionally, there are some cultures and societies that
are not very welcoming to these groups of people and thus it becomes difficult for them to use
healthcare services. Furthermore, some of these individuals may possess behaviors that they may
want to conceal from the public thus preventing them from accessing health care services
(Harcourt, 2013).
There are however nursing interventions that may help in ensuring effective use of the healthcare
services. Firstly, the rates of insurance coverage should be made similar for all the individuals
whether they are LGBT or heterosexual (Bonvicini, 2017). Secondly, it would be necessary for
the department of health and human service to establish an LGBT dedicated office. This office
will help in coordinating and addressing the issues surrounding the LGBT health disparities

LGBT 3
(Bonvicini, 2017). There should additionally be the creation of trust in relationships and
respecting the individual’s privacy during the delivery of services.
References
Bonvicini, K. A. (2017). LGBT healthcare disparities: What progress have we made?. Patient
education and counseling, 100(12), 2357-2361.
Harcourt, J. (2013). Current issues in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health:
Introduction. In Current Issues in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Health (pp. 17-28). Routledge.