The quality of healthcare depends on the interactions between providers and consumers of health. The LGBT community faces many challenges that affect how they use health care services. The community is in jeopardy of acquiring and using quality healthcare due to discrimination and prejudice. Psychological factors such as discrimination and prejudices are major hindrances making the LGBT community not to access health services (McLaughlin, Hatzenbuehler, & Keyes, 2010). The discrimination arises due to LGBT’s sexual orientation, gender expression and finally their gender identity (ODPHP, 2019). These factors have seen most of them with the risk of developing depression and even suicidal thoughts.
Apart from discrimination and prejudice, another factor existing that is contributing to poorer health outcomes amongst this community is the health care setting. Most LGBTs are afraid to share their sexual identities at clinics and hospital. They fear to be isolated and treated unfairly as compared to their counterparts who are heterosexual. The social-cultural factor is another issue where LGBT people are rejected and denounced in society. Such treatment makes them have a sense of lacking belongingness and rejection (Albuquerque et al., 2016). As such, most LGBT hides their issues, leaving them to feel homeless hence consider themselves as unwanted. Since the healthcare setting is part of the community, such treatment to LGBT has made them suffer in silence and missing out of critical healthcare services.
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Nurses are on the frontline of making sure that the effectiveness of services is well utilized. Nursing intervention has more to accomplish to ensure access to quality health care for the LGBT community by adopting all-inclusive and hospitable attitudes. It is therefore vital for stakeholders in healthcare to form a provision that stripes of intolerant attitudes among nurses. Nurses should be in the position to assess and understand the health status of healthcare consumers with respect to the cultural, health and social context in which they operate. LGBT must be encouraged to take part in healthcare programs through the use of campaigns to overcome the stigma (Roberts et al., 2010). Otherwise, if they sit back and wait for no one who does not share their sentiment will come to their rescue. This implies that even the health providers will not be able to deliver services to them.
References
Albuquerque, G. A. et al. (2016). Access to health services by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons: systematic literature review. BMC International Health Hanuman Rights, 16 (2),
McLaughlin, K. A., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., & Keyes, K. M. (2010). Responses to discrimination and psychiatric disorders among Black, Hispanic, female, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. American journal of public health , 100 (8), 1477-1484.
ODPHP. (2019). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services . Retrieved on 28 March 2019, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-transgender-health
Roberts, A. L., Austin, S. B., Corliss, H. L., Vandermorris, A. K., & Koenen, K. C. (2010). Pervasive trauma exposure among US sexual orientation minority adults and risk of posttraumatic stress disorder. American journal of public health , 100 (12), 2433-2 441.
