On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Santé Publique France warns about the consequences of homophobic discrimination on the health of LGBT + people. According to the report, lesbians, gays and bisexuals are 2 to 3 times more often exposed to psychological, verbal, physical or sexual violence than heterosexual people.
New campaign to fight discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity
On the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia which took place this Monday, May 17, the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, the Interministerial Delegation for the Fight Against Racism, Antisemitism and Haine anti-LGBT (DILCRAH) and Santé Publique France have joined forces to launch a new campaign to combat discrimination linked to sexual orientation and gender identity, which is not without consequences for the health of LGBT + people.
In their report, the experts thus reveal in 2019, “ 35% of LGBT people have experienced at least one form of discrimination in their lifetime because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This discrimination and violence affects the health of the people who suffer them in a global way (physical and mental) “.
According to Prof. Geneviève Chêne, Director General of Public Health France: “ Discrimination has deleterious and lasting repercussions on the physical and mental health of people in terms of psychological and identity disorders, consumption of psychoactive substances, degraded sexual health, difficulties in dialogue with health professionals and forgoing care. “.
The consequences of homophobic discrimination on the health of LGBT + people
To provide an overview of the consequences of homophobic discrimination on the health of LGBT + people, Public Health France has based itself on a synthesis of the literature and of a special issue of the BEH. It shows that lesbians, gays and bisexuals are 2 to 3 times more often exposed to psychological, verbal, physical or sexual violence than heterosexual people.
The report reveals that there is “ twice as many characterized depressive episodes (EDC) and three times as many suicide attempts in the past 12 months among lesbians, gays and bisexuals than among heterosexuals “. An even more frequent phenomenon for trans people since more than half (56%) of transgender people questioned via social networks in 2014 declared to have had depression following transphobic acts and 18% of them even made an attempt suicide.
Beyond mental health, homophobic discrimination also has repercussions on medical consultations. And for good reason, 49% of lesbians and 40% of male homosexuals have never spoken to their doctor about their sexual orientation. Worse, the report reveals ” that one in four said they had given up on seeing a doctor in the last 12 months for fear of being discriminated against because of their transsexuality ”. In addition, this lack of communication does not allow optimal medical follow-up since it precludes the possibilities of screening and vaccination.
