Misinformation continues to harm LGBTQ people

In an Editor’s Statement in the peer-reviewed journal Transgender Health on the importance of access to gender affirming care for our nation’s youth, Journal Editor-in-Chief Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH, states “LGBTQ youth need love, support, and acceptance, not misinformation and hate thinly veiled as compassion.” Click here to read the statement now.

“Although recent attempts to distort science and disseminate misinformation to dehumanize the most vulnerable members of our community and as a result deny transgender youth access to health care are not new, these strategies are now highly organized, pervasive, and well-funded,” says Dr. Garofalo, Professor Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“Gender-affirming care is grounded in a broadly held belief that access to healthcare is a basic human right, and healthcare decisions should be made by shared decision-making following thoughtful, fully informed, and collaborative discussions between adolescents, parents and guardians, and healthcare providers, not decided upon or regulated by the state and certainly not prohibited or only available based upon state of residence,” states Dr. Garofalo.

“Amidst an alarming rise in legislative action to limit or curtail the rights of LGBTQ Americans, and specifically in response to more than a dozen states that have enacted bans to health care for gender diverse and transgender young people, it was time to speak out and release a statement as Editor-in-Chief of Transgender Health,” says Dr. Garofalo.

About the Journal
Transgender Health is the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to addressing the healthcare needs of transgender individuals throughout the lifespan and identifying gaps in knowledge as well as priority areas where policy development and research are needed to achieve healthcare equity. Led by Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the Journal provides critical coverage of topics including disparities in treatment and barriers to care, health services, cultural competency, mental health and well-being, and hormone therapy and surgery. For complete tables of content and a sample issue, visit the Transgender Health website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a global media company dedicated to creating, curating, and delivering impactful peer-reviewed research and authoritative content services to advance the fields of biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, and public health and policy. For complete information, please visit the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.