Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in DC are required to get two CEs in LGBTQ+ competence for license renewal. Have you ever asked yourself why this is?

DC has the largest reported LGBT+ community out of any US state or territory. According to the Williams Institute, LGBT adults make up 14.5% of the adult population in the District of Columbia as of December 2023. This figure is nearly twice as large as the 7.8% of LGBT adults in Oregon, which has the 2nd highest population of LGBT adults after D.C. ¹

Despite the fact that every clinician will certainly see LGBTQI3A+ patients, many clinicians feel inadequately trained to provide quality care to this population. In fact, according to one survey published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, just 1/3 of medical students felt comfortable addressing patients' concerns related to sexuality. ²

Lack of proper training contributes to LGBTQI3A+ people facing frequent stigmatization, ignorance, discrimination, and refusal of care when seeking health care services. In Lambda Legal’s 2010 survey of LGBT people, titled “When Healthcare Isn’t Caring,” over 50% of LGB study participants reported one or more of the following: being refused care, having their healthcare provider refuse to touch them, excessive use of precautions when being treated, being blamed for their health status, or having their healthcare provider verbally abuse them.³ Transgender people reported discrimination and barriers to accessing healthcare at as much as 2 to 3 times the rate experienced by LGB people.³ This ultimately leads to significant health disparities.

Clinicians’ unconscious biases often make it difficult to recognize when clinical decisions are inadvertently contributing to health disparities in this population.

Courses like these can help illuminate these blindspots and help us practice equitably and effectively. No matter how much you know about LGBTQI3A+ health and healthcare already, this course is for you.