David Stein , CEO and Co-Founder of Ash Wellness , shares his suggestions around improving the healthcare experience for the LGBTQ + community
HOSPITALS
David Stein , CEO and Co-Founder of Ash Wellness , shares his suggestions around improving the healthcare experience for the LGBTQ + community
WRITTEN BY : CHARLIE KING
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Last month saw Pride festivities springing up in many countries – from Hungary to Greenland . First officially recognised by Bill Clinton in 1999 , June was chosen as Pride Month to pay tribute to the pivotal Stonewall Uprising of June 1969 .
Over fifty years later , queer people globally continue to have a varied healthcare experience to that of the heterosexual and cisgender population .
Alongside the higher risk of depression and suicide , higher rates of alcohol use , smoking , stigmatisation , and stress , undefined guidelines and lack of education for healthcare professionals can often lead to unequal treatment from healthcare providers .
LGBTQ + folks also face legal complications surrounding healthcare across the globe – with some countries having inconsistent and regularly changing attitudes to LGBTQ + healthcare , while in 64 countries , homosexuality is still criminalised .
Legality and the LGBTQ + community in the USA It is criminal to be queer in many countries , Qatar – which recently gained international attention by hosting the 2022 Fifa World Cup – and almost 75 % of countries in Africa included .
Despite decriminalisation in many countries , there are still many governmental barriers to inclusive healthcare .
“ LGBTQ + people deserve the same healthcare as the cis-heterosexual population in all spaces ,” says David Stein , CEO and Co-Founder of Ash Wellness .
Stein applauds the three-site testing for STIs and approaches to pregnancy , parental leave over maternal / paternal leave , and gendered bathrooms that some healthcare providers have adopted : “ These are great strides , but there ’ s so much room for growth and consistency .”
And Stein ’ s point becomes abundantly clear when you look at the numbers .
20 bills attacking queer rights in healthcare were passed in the US in 2022 , with 2023 numbers sharply increasing amid a general rise in anti-LGBTQ + bills : a total of 417 anti-LGBTQ + bills have been introduced into state legislatures across the US in 2023 so far , while 45 have been enshrined in law ; 13 of these laws ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth
In May 2023 , the ‘ Protections of Medical Conscience ’ bill was signed in Florida that intends to “ provide the right of medical conscience for healthcare providers and payers to ensure they can care for patients in a manner consistent with their moral , ethical , and religious convictions ”.
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