Make healthcare more accessible to LGBT people

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Access to healthcare is a very important element when it comes to the right to health. Everyone is entitled to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health as outlined in the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

To fully enjoy this right, people will need to first access healthcare. This means that healthcare facilities should be accessible physically as well as financially and based on non-discrimination. Accessibility also implies the right to seek, receive and impart health-related information in an accessible format, but does not impair the right to have personal health data treated confidentially.

While this is the ideal, LGBT people still face discrimination within and outside of the health sector, which negatively impacts their ability to access healthcare and thereby their right to health.

In 2021, the Equality For All Foundation carried out a total of 27 assessments across six treatment sites across Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine. Mystery shoppers had generally good experiences at some health facilities while at other facilities they were split on whether the staff at the other healthcare facilities they visited were friendly and non-judgemental. Only some perceived the staff as LGBT-sensitive, while also indicating that LGBT affirming language was not used. In about 50 per cent of visits, shoppers’ sexual orientation was ascertained 13 times.

To make healthcare more accessible to LGBT Jamaicans, given the challenges they face, medical forms at the healthcare facilities should be made more LGBT-inclusive, including different gender identities, pronouns, etc. Additionally, providers should improve the quality of their interactions with LGBT clients by offering risk reduction counselling, avoiding judgements during sexual risk screenings, and having greater awareness of the needs and experiences of LGBT clients.

NICKOY WILSON

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Equality For All Foundation