🦚LGBTQIA+ affirming approach and why it is important

The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced several guidelines and frameworks to ensure the delivery of culturally competent, ethical, respectful, and gender-affirming healthcare services and care. These guidelines are introduced to ensure the highest attainable level of care and well-being for all.

Gender-affirming care encompasses a range of social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions (i.e. hormonal treatment or surgery) designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity. Gender-affirming care, referred to as transition-related care, is life-saving healthcare for transgender and non-binary people of all ages. A guideline specifically on the health of transgender and gender-diverse people is being developed.

Cultural competence, on the other hand, is widely seen as a foundational pillar for reducing disparities through culturally sensitive and unbiased quality care. Culturally competent care is defined as care that respects diversity in the patient population and cultural factors that can affect health and health care.

Additionally, WHO advocates for a legal and policy framework that guarantees access to essential services for marginalized groups which yields further positive health outcomes.

LGBTQIA+ affirming care is based on this principle.