LGBTQ+ health expert Dr Joanna Semlyen from University of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School has welcomed a new government report, Health and Social Care and LGBT Communities, which recommends mandatory sexual orientation and gender identity monitoring across the NHS and in social care.
Dr Semlyen, whose research previously found health disparities including higher levels of common mental disorder, smoking, hazardous alcohol use and levels of unhealthy body mass index (BMI) in the UK LGBTQ+ population, said: “I am pleased to see the Women and Equalities Committee’s recommendation to ensure mandatory sexual orientation and gender identity monitoring across all NHS and state social care providers and thus in line with ethnicity monitoring. This an important commitment to and recognition of the role of data in demonstrating disparities in health and health service use and guiding resource allocation and intervention development, both key in addressing LGBTQ+ health in the UK population.
“I am pleased to see the Women and Equalities Committee’s recommendation for the development of LGBT-specific public health interventions. Our research finds higher levels of common mental disorder, smoking, hazardous alcohol use and levels of unhealthy body mass index (BMI) in the UK LGBTQ+ population. These health disparities need to be addressed through not only the development of interventions that are sensitive to the needs of this population but also the development of more inclusive mainstream services.
“I welcome the Women and Equalities Committee’s recommendation for a review of guidance for medical schools regarding LGBTQ+ curriculum content development. It is crucial that all our doctors have access to training on LGBTQ+ health in addition to our medical students and so it is important that training is extended beyond higher education into both postgraduate training and continued professional development for qualified doctors.”
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