LGBTQIASB+ Health Position Statement
The AMA has updated its LGBTQIASB+ health position statement.
The AMA has updated its position statement on the health of people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and/or Gender Diverse, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Sistergirl and Brotherboy (LGBTQIASB+) in Australia.
The AMA recognises that people identifying as LGBTQIASB+ are not a homogenous group, and that experiences between and within these communities vary significantly. LGBTQIASB+ people require access to evidence-based, patient centric and shared decision-making care that is free from bias and discrimination.
In general, people who are trans or gender diverse experience poorer health outcomes than people who are cisgender, including cisgender people within LGBQIA+ communities.
Poorer mental health outcomes among trans and gender diverse people are particularly notable. Factors contributing to poorer health outcomes among people who are LGBTQIASB+ are complex, but there is general consensus that discrimination and stigma in the community, as well as within formal institutions, play a significant role.
The AMA’s position statement specifically addresses gender-affirming care. Gender-affirming treatments, includes puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and gender affirmation surgery. Gender-affirming care is linked with a range of positive health outcomes for people who are trans and gender diverse, including decreased rates of substance abuse and reduced harms from self-prescribed hormones. The AMA condemns systemic discrimination, abuse, and prejudice against young trans and gender diverse people seeking gender-affirming care and calls for support and protection of medical practitioners who deliver this care.
