Healthcare services are essential for all of us, no matter our race, gender identification, ethnicity, religion, or who we choose to love. Sadly, not everyone in our society has access to the healthcare we need. At The Defeating Epilepsy Foundation® , we are working to advocate for everyone who is in need of care.
Many in the LGBTQIA+ community face challenges in not just getting medication to treat epilepsy, but mental health services as well as hormone replacement therapy. Finding a good physician who is familiar with transgender care is important due to the fact that certain anticonvulsant medications can have an effect on hormone treatments.
The biggest challenge many face in the community is not gaining access to care due to insurance not covering what they need or facing stigma in the healthcare industry.
It is important for those in the LGBTQ+ community to take care of their mental health and well-being. Innerbody lists important resources here in their article https://www.innerbody.com/mental-health-resources-for-the-lgbtq-community
Organizations that can help are:
The Trevor Project https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ 866-488-7386
National Suicide Prevention Hotline LGBTQ+ https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/lgbtq/ 800-273-8255
Healthcare services are essential for individuals who are transgender. Many have difficulty not just gaining mental health resources or help for chronic illnesses, but for hormone replacement therapy as well.
Resources to help the Transgender Community are:
Transgender Law Center: https://transgenderlawcenter.org/
Transgender Law Center is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. The Transgender Law Center helps people advocate for justice, whether it is employment, housing discrimination, healthcare, youth services, and more.
GLMA Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality: https://www.glma.org
GLMA provides information for both the patient and the provider. Patients can go to the site to find a provider, information to discuss with their providers, Lambda legal sources, trans health resources, as well as information on mental health. Providers can join the organization’s directory, learn how to create a welcoming environment for trans patients, as well as gain access to research information.
National Center for Transgender Equality: https://transequality.org/
The National Center for Transgender Equality helps transgender people find support hotlines, healthcare, mental health resources, domestic violence resources, immigration, Veterans services, and more. They provide self-help guides as well as connect people to advocacy organizations.
Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/
Trans Lifeline connects trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive. Trans Lifeline envisions a world where trans people have the connection, economic security, and care, everyone, needs and deserves – free of prisons and police.
Psychology Masters Program: Creating LGBTQIA+ Friendly Schools and Campus Communities https://psychologymastersprograms.com/lgbtqia-friendly-schools-and-campus-communities/
This is a great article full of resources including different organizations to reach out to for mental health resources and more.
LGBTQ+ Student Support and Resources https://www.moneygeek.com/financial-planning/paying-for-college/resources/lgbtq-students/
This article is filled with resources such as finding academic organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community, important information for college students and scholarships available for LGBTQ+ students.
