A new survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) asked people how much discrimination they face in their lives and revealed that LGBT individuals are facing far more discrimination than people outside the community.
Unfair Treatment
The survey revealed that more than one-third of LGBT individuals report experiencing unfair or disrespectful treatment from their healthcare providers in at least one instance.
Twice as Many
33% of LGBT individuals reporting unfair treatment by healthcare providers is more than double the rate reported by non-LGBT adults where only 13% of those surveyed reported similiar treatment.
Making Assumptions
When it came to discrimination by healthcare providers reported by LGBT individuals, 40% reported providers making assumptions about their lifestyle or health without consultation.
Blaming the Patient
32% of LGBT respondents also reported that some healthcare providers even went as far as to blame them for their health issues and another 32% reported being ignored by providers.
Serious Consequences
Unsurprisingly, this kind of discrimination from healthcare providers can have serious consequences as people who do not feel comfortable getting medical care are less likely to do so, and this could easily lead to serious problems being ignored.
Negative Effects Outside the LGBT Community
When asking people outside the LGBT community if their difficult healthcare interactions had a negative effect on their health, only 9% said this was the case.
LGBT Health
Almost one quarter (24%) of the LGBT people surveyed actually reported that their negative healthcare interactions have worsened their health.
Switching Providers
Due to the discrimination and subsequent consequences to their health, 39% of LGBT respondents reported that they had either switched healthcare providers or become less likely to seek medical help due to past negative experiences.
Everyday Discrimination
However, the report went beyond discrimination by healthcare providers and also surveyed the amount of discrimination people felt in their everyday lives.
Poor Service and Harassment
When surveying about the discrimination people faced in their daily life, the KFF asked if people received poor service in public venues or verbal harassment,
Doubling Discrimination
The survey looked at the discrimination faced in people’s daily lives, and the number actually doubled to 65% for people within the LGBT community.
From 15 to 40
However, the rate of reported discrimination in the daily lives of people outside the LGBT community saw a much larger increase, from 15% of people reporting healthcare discrimination to 40% in people’s daily lives.
Mental Health Problems
Likely due to the increased discrimination faced by members of the LGBT community, the survey also showed a correlation between the discrimination faced by individuals and poor mental health.
Higher Rates of Mental Health Crisis
LGBT people reported higher rates of severe mental health crises and are more likely to describe their mental health as “fair” or “poor” compared to non-LGBT peers.
Unable to Access Mental Health Services
At the same time, the report also revealed that nearly half of LGBT adults (46%) have been unable to find mental health services at some point due to things like affordability and accessibility.
More and More LGBT
With all this in mind, the results of the 2023 Gallop poll also revealed that America has more and more people identifying as part of the LGBT community, with a higher number reported in the youngest generations.
7.6% of Adults
The Gallup poll asked respondents about their sexuality, and the results show that 7.6% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+ across the country.
A Quarter of Gen Z
The youngest group surveyed, Generation Z, showed the highest rates of LGBT identification, with 22.3% of Gen Z individuals identifying as part of the LGBT community.
A Troubling Trend
These two surveys, in conjunction, reveal a troubling trend where the LGBT community is steadily growing and, at the same time, facing discrimination that could potentially have serious consequences for their mental and physical health.
The Younger Generation’s Uphill Battle
Clearly the younger generations are more comfortable with the LGBT community, but unless something is done to address the discrimination in the health industry, these younger gays will be facing an uphill battle.
The post LGBT People Are Facing More Discrimination Than Ever in Healthcare first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
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For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.
