Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health

Among the APA's goals is to expand psychology's role in advancing health and in decreasing health disparities. The introductory summary of the Institute of Medicine's 2011 report, "The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for a Better Understanding," states:

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals experience unique health disparities. Although the acronym LGBT is used as an umbrella term, and the health needs of this community are often grouped together, each of these letters represents a distinct population with its own health concerns. Furthermore, among lesbians, gay men, bisexual men and women, and transgender people, there are subpopulations based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographic location, age and other factors."

Compounding this is that there are at present no large scale population data sets that include information about sexual orientation and gender identity, and LGBT people have been the subject of relatively little health research. In addition to these issues, LGBT people face barriers to equitable health care that profoundly affects their overall well-being.

The information and resources provided on this page represent an ongoing effort by the APA's Office on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity to bring together recent and ongoing policy and advocacy work in LGBT health disparity areas, and both in government agencies and the non-profit health care community to address these issues.