Why an LGBTQ Health Initiative?
LGBTQ people face a vast range of significant health disparities. Many of these disparities are linked to social and institutional inequities resulting from homophobia, transphobia and discrimination.
Among the health disparities experienced by the LGBT community, LGBT people experience a disproportionate amount of:
- suicide
- homelessness and housing insecurity
- mental health challenges, including depression
- breast and cervical cancer
- HIV and other STIs
- obesity
- tobacco, alcohol and other drug use
The transgender community faces an even higher rate of these health disparities within the broader LGBTQ community.
The LGBTQ Health Initiative works to address these health disparities by offering cultural competency training to health and social service providers, facilitating the LGBTQ Health Coalition, and creating LGBTQ-specific health programming.