Negative Health Care Experiences & Avoiding Health Care Because of Fear of Discrimination Among Sexual & Gender Minority Adults

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults frequently report negative experiences when seeking healthcare (Ayhan Balik et al., 2020). However, little is known about the relationship between these experiences and health behaviors, such as healthcare avoidance. This study aims to address these gaps by examining the relationship between negative healthcare experiences and avoiding healthcare due to fear of discrimination. The cross-sectional Health of Sexual and Gender Minorities Study (HSGMS) was conducted February-March 2022. A total of 1,330 SGM adults residing in the US were recruited from Reddit to take the IRB-approved digital survey and entered a raffle for six $100 gift-cards. Negative healthcare experiences, avoiding healthcare due to fear of discrimination, and demographics were measured. Data from n=1,316 SGMs were described by demographics and avoiding healthcare due to fear of discrimination, and multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate the relationship between all negative healthcare experiences and avoiding healthcare due to fear of discrimination. Those who experienced the following had increased odds of avoiding healthcare due to fear of discrimination: denial of medication (AOR=2.40,95%CI:1.67,3.47), procedures (AOR=3.21,95%CI:2.08,4.96), or testing (AOR=2.04,95%CI:1.40,2.97), were called by the incorrect name or pronouns (AOR=2.77,95%CI:2.00,3.85), were asked invasive questions unrelated to their healthcare visit (AOR=2.86,95%CI:2.13,3.85), were subjected to unnecessary physical exams (AOR=2.47,95%CI:1.59,3.86), had medical concerns ignored (AOR=3.46, 95%CI: 2.56,4.68), had to educate their provider on their identity (AOR=2.13,95%CI:1.58,2.89), or felt their provider didn’t understand their needs (AOR=2.74,95%CI:2.03,3.70). These findings demonstrate the need for comprehensive education on the experiences and needs of the SGM population to support engagement in health management, reduce harm, and promote health equity (AOTA, 2020).

References

Ayhan, C. H. B., Bilgin, H., Uluman, O. T., Sukut, O., Yilmaz, S., & Buzlu, S. (2020). A Systematic Review of the Discrimination Against Sexual and Gender Minority in Health Care Settings. International journal of Health Services, 50(1), 44–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731419885093

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