Access to healthcare, including oral healthcare, is widely recognized as essential to overall well-being. However, gender and sexual minorities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+) people, face structural stigma, discrimination, and persecution that can limit their access to and use of healthcare, including oral health services.
Although global progress on LGBTQ+ rights has been significant in some regions, important gaps remain. This article outlines barriers contributing to oral health inequities and identifies measures at the policy, regulatory, academic, professional, and individual levels to support more inclusive oral healthcare.
By adopting these inclusive measures and practices, oral health professionals can better address the needs of LGBTQ+ communities while providing safe and affirming oral healthcare. Doing so requires moving beyond binary, cisnormative, and heteronormative assumptions within traditional frameworks and fostering environments that support equitable access to care for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
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