Affirming Primary Care for Queer Natal Females: The Development of an Integrated Primary Care Curriculum for LGBTQ+ People Assigned Female at Birth

Date of Award

8-24-2024

Document Type

Doctoral Research Paper

Degree Name

Psy.D.

Organizational Unit

Graduate School of Professional Psychology

First Advisor

Kathryn Barrs

Second Advisor

Scarlett Choi

Third Advisor

Mallaree Blake

Keywords

Integrated primary care, LGBTQ+ health, Sexual minorities, Assigned female at birth (AFAB) individuals, Queer natal females, Primary care provider education

Abstract

Queer natal females (QNF) or LGBTQ+ people assigned female at birth (AFAB) encounter disproportionately higher risks of mental health challenges and preventable medical conditions in comparison to their cisgender and heterosexual counterparts. This heightened vulnerability predominantly stems from obstacles hindering access to affirming primary care settings, where such issues are typically identified. Ensuring effective prevention and early intervention within integrated primary care, particularly with a focus on behavioral health, emerges as crucial for fostering the overall well-being of LGBTQ+ AFAB or QNF patients. However, primary care providers often lack the requisite cultural competency training necessary to administer affirming care, resulting in instances of neutral or adverse patient-provider interactions. Consequently, QNF individuals may avoid seeking primary care altogether due to apprehensions surrounding discrimination and lack of knowledge by their providers. This doctoral paper underscores the urgency for educational initiatives targeted at primary care providers to address the integrated behavioral health needs specific to queer natal females. It contends that the provision of culturally responsive care holds the potential to significantly bolster prevention and early intervention endeavors targeting chronic mental health disorders and preventable diseases within this demographic. Lastly, this paper advocates for the development and execution of comprehensive, integrated primary care provider curriculum to effectively mitigate these disparities. It discusses the development and implementation of such a curriculum at Tepeyac Community Health Center in Denver, CO, sharing lessons learned and possibilities for future directions.

Copyright Date

7-15-2024

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. Permanently suppressed.

Rights Holder

Brenda Kane

Provenance

Received from author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

64 pgs

File Size

8.1 MB

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