Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minorities with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minorities with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Feb 13;: Authors: Hall JP, Batza K, Streed CG, Boyd BA, Kurth NK Abstract We explored the health and health care experiences of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) using data from a national, internet-based survey of adults with disabilities supplemented by focused interviews. LGBTQ+ respondents had significantly higher rates of mental illness, poor physical health days per month, and smoking compared to straight, cisgender respondents with ASD. LGBTQ+ respondents also reported much higher rates of unmet health care need, inadequate insurance provider networks, and rates of being refused services by a medical provider. Examining the intersection of LGBTQ+ identity and ASD reveals compounded health disparities that insurers and medical providers are not adequately addressing, particularly as individuals transition to the adult medical system. PMID: 32056117 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: J Autism Dev Disord Source Type: research