Globalization and cooperation are significant factors contributing to the advent of a wave of sexual and identity orientation. The strides the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community have made reflect people’s ability to accept new societal changes. However, the community experiences more health disparities compared to their heterosexual counterparts. These disparities place them at a higher risk of acquiring mental issues that further impede their contribution to society. Whereas the world has grown to accept the LGBT community, they experience several psychological, sociocultural, and environmental barriers to health care services that, to address them effectively, require bias-focused interventions and inclusive education.
There are several determinants preventing LGBT individuals from accessing equal health services. LGBT youth suffer from the psychological damage of a self-identity crisis and the fear of coming out (Morris et al., 2019). This apprehension is rooted in the belief that society will not believe them or further out them. Moreover, the LGBT community faces social discrimination, hate, and violence from heteronormative individuals, making them feel unsafe and unwanted. Generally, people are insensitive to LGBT people and deeply stigmatize them resulting in self-harm acts like suicide (Morris et al., 2019). This treatment accompanies mental health crises such as depression and high-risk sexual behavior.
In addition, LGBT individuals face labor exclusion within their physical environment, constraining their financial options. These community members engage in vices like prostitution, which may lead to incarceration or death (Morris et al., 2019). Healthcare providers contribute to this crisis primarily because they are unaware of the needs associated with the LGBT community. The health care system still incorporates gender-based language that discriminates against and does not actively acknowledge them (Medina-Martínez et al., 2021). Furthermore, national surveys lack questions regarding identity, which impedes the government’s ability to know the size of the LGBT community in the country. Such disparities minimize political representation and societal changes that would benefit the community.
Nurses can utilize population health interventions to effectively mitigate the discrimination of LGBT individuals and encourage access to health care services. Nurses should promote inclusive education in public and social forums targeting sexual and gender diversity (Medina-Martínez et al., 2021). Informational manipulation or its insufficiency is at the core of societal stigma regarding LGBT youth and adults. Mass sensitization of stigma and its effect will help people remedy their behavior and accept relatives or friends who want to come out.
The idea of population health nursing interventions is based on the necessity to protect or improve the health statuses of all patients, regardless of their gender, sexual identity, or race. The effective use of services may be promoted in various ways: nurses should demonstrate their awareness of possible care challenges and cooperate with families at different levels. For example, a gender-based language barrier affects health care services because not all nurses understand what pronouns are correct (Medina-Martínez et al., 2021). Thus, educational interventions like presentations, debriefing sessions, simulations, and interactive practices help nurses make the right decisions and solve problems. When nurses understand the peculiarities of LGBT communities, they can easily intervene in predicting risks and reducing health disparities. Compassionate listening, inclusive environments, and open cooperation are interventions to enhance effective services.
The LGBT community faces health disparities for sociocultural, environmental, behavioral, and psychological reasons. Stigmatization, insensitivity, violence, and depression hinder them from accessing health care services. Nonetheless, nursing interventions such as mass sensitization on LGBT rights and needs, re-orientation of gender-based language, and education will assist in mitigating these effects. It is integral to uphold the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and ensure they have equal access to quality medical care.
References
Medina-Martínez, J., Saus-Ortega, C., Sánchez-Lorente, M. M., Sosa-Palanca, E. M., García-Martínez, P., & Mármol-López, M. I. (2021). Health inequities in LGBT people and nursing interventions to reduce them: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(22).
Morris, M., Cooper, R. L., Ramesh, A., Tabatabai, M., Arcury, T. A., Shinn, M., Im, W., Juarez, P., & Matthews-Juarez, P. (2019). Training to reduce LGBTQ-related bias among medical, nursing, and dental students and providers: A systematic review. BMC Medical Education, 19(1).