LGBTQIA+ Health

Discover MedlinePlus

MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine, the largest biomedical library in the world. Use MedlinePlus.gov anywhere, anytime, on any device - for free - to discover high-quality health and wellness information that is reliable, easy to understand, and free of advertising, in both English and Spanish.

Discover information on:

• LGBTQIA+ Health

Discover NIH

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency — making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems.

The Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) coordinates sexual and gender minority (SGM)–related research and activities by working directly with the NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices. The Office was officially established in September 2015 within the NIH Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI). 

Traditionally, health care has taken a one-size-fits-all approach in developing treatments and strategies for the “average” person - but these treatments may not work well for individual people, because everyone is unique. How can medicine and research take individuality into consideration in tailoring treatment and prevention strategies for more effective health care? The All of Us Research Program is working to support Precision Medicine in this way, by building a diverse database that can inform thousands of studies on a variety of conditions. Learn more about Diversity in biomedical research.

Want to learn more? Here are other free NLM and NNLM programs.

• NLM History Talk: “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it”: Struggles and Stories to Be Heard for Today and Tomorrow 
  • Dr. Sell is a professor at the School of Public Health and Department of Community Health and Prevention, Drexel University. Circulating Now interviewed him about his research and upcoming talk.
• Beyond the Binary: Understanding LGBTQIA+ Health | NNLM

Discover More

Agencies and Associations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) works to ensure that LGBTQI+ people, their families, and communities receive equal access to health services by providing enhanced resources for LGBTQI+ health issues; developing better information regarding LGBTQI+ health needs; and working to close the LGBTQI+ health disparities gap that currently exists. Learn more and download and share Gender-Affirming Care and Young People [PDF] (HHS Office of Population Affairs)

Healthy People 2030 supports improving the health and well-being for LGBT populations through health behavior objectives, objectives to address systemic problems, and objectives to increase data collection on LGBT heath and well-being. Learn more at Healthy People 2030.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a comprehensive resource for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) supports behavioral health equity and resources.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes that LGBTQ+ Veterans face increased health risks and unique challenges in health care due to stigma, discrimination, and stress. Services that the VA provides for LGBTQ+ Health

The National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, a program of the Fenway Institute, provides educational programs, resources, and consultation to health care organizations with the goal of optimizing quality, cost-effective health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender queer, intersex, asexual and all sexual and gender minority (LGBTQIA+) people.

The American Psychological Association (APA) advances the creation, communication, and application of psychological knowledge on gender identity and sexual orientation to benefit society and improve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's lives. See APA Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity for more information.

The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GMLA) is a national organization committed to health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and all sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and equality for LGBTQ/SGM health professionals in their work and learning environments. Use their resources to:

• LGBTQ Healthcare Directory
• Find questions to ask your health provider

For the Bookshelf

‘This Day in June’ celebrates the pride and diversity of the LGBTQ community from a child’s point of view. This is the first picture book to win the Stonewall Book Awards – Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. This Day in June | Gayle E Pitman, Ph.D. | Magination Press | 2014 | 32 pages | ISBN: 978-1433816598 | WorldCat

TRANS+ is a guide for teens who are transgender, non-binary, gender-nonconforming, gender-fluid, queer, or questioning their sexual and gender identity. It answers both easy and hard questions about gender and covers mental health, physical health, reproduction, transitioning, relationships, sex, and life as a queer individual. Trans+: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You | Karen Rayne Ph.D. and Kathryn Gonzales MBA | Magination Press | 2019 | 304 pages | ISBN: 978-1433829833 | Young Adult Ages 15-18 | WorldCat

This book examines the microaggressions that LGBTQ people face on a daily basis, highlights their impact on mental health, and discusses ways mental health providers can help clients process and address microaggressions. Dismantling Everyday Discrimination: Microaggressions Toward LGBTQ People, 2nd ed | Kevin Leo Yabut Nadal Ph.D. | American Psychological Association | 2023 | 329 pages | ISBN: 978-1433840159 | WorldCat

This book uses a life course perspective to explore not only the challenges and needs of LGBT older adults, but also their strengths and resilience. The Lives of LGBT Older Adults: Understanding Challenges and Resilience | Nancy A Orel Ph.D. and Christine A Fruhaurf Ph.D. | American Psychological Association | 2015 | 241 pages | ISBN: 978-1433817632 | WorldCat

Reports

• Medical Students Push for More LGBT Health Training to Address Disparities. Rachel D Cohen. NPR Shots. January 20, 2019
• 81 Words: the story of how the American Psychiatric Association decided in 1973 that homosexuality was no longer a mental illness. This American Life. January 18, 2002 "John Paul Spiegel (March 17, 1911 – July 17, 1991) was an American psychiatrist and expert on violence and combat stress and the 103rd President of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). As a closeted gay man, and president-elect of the APA in 1973, he helped to change the definition of homosexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) which had previously described homosexuality as sexual deviance and that homosexuals were pathological."