SPOKANE, Wash. – It is LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week, and this year national advocates are spotlighting community health challenges.
The National Coalition for LGBTQ+ Health hopes the event, which lasts from March 12 to 22, will highlight diverse voices within the queer community.
A webinar hosted by the coalition on March 20 brought together health department experts from major urban areas to discuss how to provide culturally-affirming care.
LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience health complications than their straight peers. The problem is pronounced amongst youth. Nearly 60 percent of queer young people report experiencing suicidal thoughts according to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
Approximately 28 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported that they have used illicit drugs in 2019, an increase over the federal baseline number of 23 percent.
The US Department of Health and Human Services launched an initiative under the Biden Administration to decrease the health disparities faced by LGBTQ+ people. Currently substance abuse and mental health issues are two of the most persistent health challenges facing federal authorities involved in queer health policy.
