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Health & Aging
Fear of discrimination causes many LGBTQ+ people to avoid seeking care. And when they do get treatment, studies have shown that LGBTQ+ people are often not treated with the respect or cultural competence that all patients deserve.
Choose from one of our featured topics to explore specific areas of our Health & Aging resources.
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Professional Resources
The Lies and Dangers of Efforts to Change Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity
"Reparative" or "conversion" therapy is a dangerous practice that targets LGBTQ youth and seeks to change their sexual or gender identities.
HIV and Employment Discrimination
Americans living with HIV or AIDS may face discrimination based on their health status in many areas of life—including employment. Fortunately, federal and state laws protect against discrimination.
Health Care Proxy
A health care proxy, or durable power of attorney for health care, allows you to designate another person as your agent to make health care decisions on your behalf.
Protecting Your Visitation & Decision-Making Rights
In times of emergency, you may be unable to make medical decisions or state who you want to visit you. In these situations, hospitals may restrict visitation rights to a…
Hospital Visitation Guide for LGBTQ+ Families
On January 18, 2011, federal regulations regarding patients’ hospital visitation rights went into effect. These new rules, which apply to hospitals participating in the Medicaid and Medicare programs, require those…
HIPAA and LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality
From time to time, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is incorrectly cited as an obstacle to hospital visitation rights and decision-making authority for LGBTQ+ families. On the contrary,…
Surrogate Medical Decision-Making and the LGBTQ+ Community
Surrogate medical decision-making refers to the legal procedures that are triggered by the mental incapacity of a patient and their subsequent inability to direct the course of their own medical…
Same-Sex Parents and Consent for Treatment of a Minor
Healthcare law requires providers to secure the informed consent of a minor child’s parent before providing medical treatment. Different legal jurisdictions recognize various individuals as “parents” in their law bearing…
Healthcare Equality Index: Default Surrogate Selection Laws
State law in the area of default surrogate decision-makers remains a patchwork that can make the implementation of policies that ensure equal treatment of LGBTQ+ patients and their families difficult.…
Love conquers hate.
