Better Together 2024 was Australia’s sixth national LGBTQASB+ conference hosted by the health promotion charity The Equality Project. It brought together health professionals and community organisations to explore pressing issues facing the LGBTQASB+ movement in the nation.

“Our mission is to create spaces for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer and Asexual communities, organisations, advocates, and allies to work together, build bridges, and speak with a common voice, through national and regional conferences and training events,” states The Equality Project’s webpage.

The conference was attended by The Australian Medical Students’ Association Queer (Queer AMSA) representative group. LGBTQASB+ health is an advocacy focus for medical students because the LGBTQASB+ community can face barriers in culturally safe and accessible healthcare in comparison to the general population.

AMSA Queer presented on “Queering Medicine – LGBTQIASB+ Affirming Care”, which highlights the need for a non-monolithic care provision approach.  

“Health providers – present and future – must know that the LGBTQIASB+ community is not a monolith. The care needs of an asexual person will differ from those of a transgender person which will differ from those of a bi person, and so on. Just doing a basic 101 on the queer community and considering yourself upskilled is not enough – you need to dive deeper, because our existence, our experiences, our joys, and our fears all run deeper,” states Stella, the AMSA Queer Chair.

Queer AMSA’s role in raising awareness for ongoing LGBTQIASB+ health issues is important to achieving equitable outcomes. 42% of LGBTQIASB+ conceal their gender identity at social events, with this community at increased risk of suicidal thoughts and discrimination.

“Conversion practices, anti-trans pseudoscience, blood inequality, medicalisation of asexuality, and inadequate provider knowledge, amongst other issues, remain prominent concerns in the medical community for LGBTQIASB+ patients,” said Stella.

“As the Better Together Conference highlighted, medical students, doctors, and communities must share ideas and work together to foster a better world for LGBTQIASB+ Australians. To achieve this common goal, queer safety must be at the forefront of health provider’s minds with every patient interaction.”

The Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) is the peak representative body for Australia’s 18,000 medical students. AMSA Queer is AMSA’s queer representative group that advocates for LGBTQIASB+ health and representation in medicine.

As QAMSA and the fellow queer medical community highlighted through Better Together, it is imperative that these LGBTQIASB+ health issues be at the forefront of doctors’ and medical students’ minds when providing care, and that action be taken to improve healthcare safety and experiences for LGBTQIASB+ communities.

Wavelength: https://www.wavelengthmeded.org/