Providing care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender immigrants at health centers and clinics

Approximately 637,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT)-identified documented adult immigrants live in the United States.1 LGBT people face persecution in dozens of countries around the world, where having an LGBT identity may be criminalized or even punishable by death.1 LGBT immigrants have often survived traumatic experiences in their countries of origin. In the United States, some LGBT immigrants may also suffer violence and retraumatization. Both LGBT immigrants and nonimmigrants may experience significant stigma-related health disparities, which range from mental health problems to sexually-transmitted infections. LGBT immigrants, in particular, also face challenges accessing culturally-competent health care, which has the potential to reduce health disparities.2,3 Providers at community health centers, psychiatrists involved in integrated care settings, and consult-liaison psychiatrists embedded in hospital staff can support LGBT immigrants in overcoming disparities in health through implementation of best practices that meet the unique needs of these communities and improve engagement of LGBT immigrants in collaborative, affirming, and high-quality primary care and psychiatric care.