We are currently living at a time of recurring urgency, promise, and
injustice for sexual and gender minorities worldwide. Deep poverty,
socio-economic
inequality and bigotry are those social variables effect individual,
family, neighborhood, structural and demographic level and multi-sector
and multistage procedures are mandatory to address socio-economic health
determinants (Sakib, 2022). The right to health and access to healthcare
for LGBTQ individuals are harmed by patterns of homophobic and
transphobic violence, discriminatory and insufficient hate crime
legislation, and laws that criminalize same-sex intimacy. LGBTQ people
around the world are dealing with an HIV/AIDS epidemic among males who
have sex with men and transgender women. Unfortunately, they as well
suffer a the menace of substance abuse and mental health illnesses, as
well as criminal violence. But the health sector is developing day by
day. Even people are planning and implementing robotics in healthcare
(Sakib, 2022) and blockchain technology in healthcare supply chain
(Sakib, 2022). Even the effect of industrialization in health and
environment is also considered. For example, even the effect of oil and
gas development in Nigeria in health and environment is also highly
considered (Sakib, 2021). But LGBTQ health is not given that much
interest. In certain regions, the recognition of LGBTQ people’s legal
rights has cleared the path for increased health-care access. I think
the trend should continue like that. On the other hand, individuals from
this hidden society have limited access to decent health care, as well
as other basic human rights. Many LGBTQ people live in civilizations
where their relationships or specific sexual acts are illegal, and they
are forced to hide their existence for their own safety.
LGBTQ persons face discrimination in healthcare and in receiving
competent treatment, and these difficulties are likely to worsen in the
event of a pandemic. Active discrimination, insensitivity and denial of
treatment, fear of sexual stigma are all examples of marginalization,
and trans-identified people may have additional difficulties in
receiving sufficient medical care (Patel et al., 2020). I pitty these
individuals since they feel trapped in what they cn not change. Within
healthcare settings, LGBTQ people face microaggressions such as the use
of heterosexist terminology, disapproval of LGBTQ experiences, and
acceptance of heteronormative culture and practices (Dean et al., 2016).
An increasing amount of global information have documented the health
implications of criminalization legislation, discrimination, and stigma,
in addition to the direct health repercussions of violence against LGBT
individuals. These include the community’s mental health, particularly
increased stress and depression, a fear of seeking help, increased risk
behaviors, and a higher prevalence of certain diseases, perhaps most
notably HIV, which continues to have a significant and disproportionate
impact on men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people around
the world. Apart from having a negative impact on LGBT people’s health
and health-care seeking behavior, I think that is vital and a bit risky
for health care professionals since such legislation can have a negative
impact on them and other NGO members, as they might face discrimination
for working with and providing services to LGBT people.
Through international forums, the US government has given greater
attention to the health and human rights of LGBT people around the world
in recent years. In 2011, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential
Memorandum that resulted to the first-ever United Nations resolution on
sexual orientation and gender identity being passed. It was a very
historical moment for the LGTQ society. Simultaneously, many of the
nations that criminalize same-sex activity receive US global health
assistance and/or are significant strategic allies of the US, posing
complicated considerations about how to best address the health needs of
LGBT people in those countries.
There have been recent government actions in Nigeria, Uganda, India, and
Russia that heightened the concern about the safety and well-being of
LGBT people and the institutions that assist or employ them. I believe
it was a nice move, very commendable since it will open way for improved
global LGBTQ health. There are also concerns that other countries will
copy the trend and emulate the policy in the near future. While the US
government has started to create the framework for a stronger focus on
LGBT human rights and health in its foreign assistance programs, there
are still numerous concerns and uncertainties about how it should
proceed in the short and long run. I have noted that while some
countries have made significant progress, others are increasingly
criminalizing same-sex relations and discriminating against LGBT
persons, both of which are seen to have negative health effects..
The prohibition of homosexuality has pushed people into hiding,
hastening the spread of the HIV epidemic and other sexually transmitted
infections. In some nations, health care providers may refuse to treat
LGBT clients, and in the most extreme circumstances, health workers and
allies may face criminal charges if they do not report LGBT people to
the government. I suggest that we need reforms to break the stigma since
global health care institutions have occasionally perpetuated oppression
for intersex and/or transsexual people, while in other cases they have
functioned as fierce advocates for equality.
I commend the trend with Cameroon where the government has recognized
homosexual men as a population group in its HIV National Strategic Plan
in 2011, allowing state-sponsored health services to reach this
previously untapped market. However, a major conflict arose: how to
provide culturally acceptable services in a country where same-sex
sexual actions are illegal. It appeared that two complementing
techniques were viable. The human rights approach, which is based on
equality. It asserts that all people have the right to health care and
that stigmatization and discrimination against gay males must be
eliminated.
In a nutshell, I think that it is unfair and inhumane to deny members of
the LGBTQ society basic health rights. It is evident that stigmatization
and discrimination when left to continue, LGBTQ society will be forced
to remain hidden from the health system for fear of criminal
prosecution. The global goal of the public health approach, is based on
access to healthcare and to halt the HIV epidemic in the world. A
suspension on arrests was one of these strategies, allowing LGBTQ
individuals to seek health care without fear of being prosecuted. By
incorporating this hidden society, we stand a chance at universal global
health for everyone.
References
- The U.S. Government and Global LGBT Health: Opportunities and
Challenges in the Current Era – Appendix – 8587. KFF. (2022).
Retrieved 19 April 2022, from
https://www.kff.org/report-section/the-u-s-government-and-global-lgbt-health-opportunities-and-challenges-in-the-current-era-appendix/.
- Pachankis, J. E., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Mirandola, M., Weatherburn,
P., Berg, R. C., Marcus, U., & Schmidt, A. J.
(2017). The
geography of sexual orientation: Structural stigma and sexual
attraction, behavior, and identity among men who have sex with men
across 38 European countries. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46(5),
1491-1502.
- Sakib, S M Nazmuz. 2022. “Analysis of the Political, Social and
Demographic Health and Well-being Determinants Marginalized Group.”
PsyArXiv. April 8.
doi: 10.31234/osf.io/sjgc2 .
- Sakib, S M Nazmuz. 2022. “ADAPTION OF BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN
HEALTHCARE SUPPLY CHAIN IN SAUDI ARABIA.” MediArXiv. April 8.
doi: 10.33767/osf.io/g4wst.
- Sakib, S M Nazmuz. 2022. “ROBOTS IN
HEALTHCARE” Engineering Archive. April 25.
doi: 10.33767/osf.io/g4wst.
- Sakib, S M Nazmuz. 2021. “The Impact of Oil and Gas Development on
the Landscape and Surface in Nigeria”. Asian Pacific Journal of
Environment and Cancer 4 (1), 9-17.
https://doi.org/10.31557/apjec.2021.4.1.9-17.