The National Coalition for LGBTQ Health began this observance in the early 2000s to call attention to the health needs of the diverse LGBTQ+ community. The coalition is committed to representing LGBTQ+ individuals as well as advocates and healthcare providers.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, individuals from the LGBTQ+ community are more than twice as likely as non-queer individuals to experience a mental illness at some point in their lifetime, with transgender people and queer people of color at even higher risk. LGBTQ+ individuals also tend to experience more physical health challenges, which can affect mental health and vice versa. Greater risk of infections, chronic fatigue, and long-term conditions like arthritis. Harvard Medical School states that LGBTQ+ people - particularly gender non-conforming people, people of color, and youth - have a higher risk of dying by suicide.
To find out more about National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, the health challenges facing many LGBTQ+ individuals today, and ways to support your friends in this diverse community, head to the Betterhelp website here.
