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The Health and Well-Being of Latinx Sexual and Gender Minorities in the USA: A Call to Action

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New and Emerging Issues in Latinx Health

Abstract

Latinx sexual and gender minority (SGM) persons, specifically lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) persons, experience profound health disparities based on multiple factors, including their ethnicity/race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and immigration status. Although the terms SGM and LGBTQI are often used as umbrella terms, the communities and populations described by these terms are deeply varied. Currently, SGM persons are increasingly open and visible in the USA and many other parts of the world, and a modest body of knowledge on the health and well-being of some SGM subgroups currently exists. However, there are profound gaps in this emerging knowledge base. Specifically, we know very little about the health and well-being of Latinx SGM persons in the USA. In this chapter, we define some of the key terms often used to describe communities and populations of SGM, highlight some of the health disparities experienced by Latinx SGM populations, and outline critical research needs and priorities to improve the health and well-being of Latinx SGM populations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    Scott D. Rhodes, Lilli Mann-Jackson, Jorge Alonzo, Jonathan C. Bell & Benjamin D. Smart

  2. Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Amanda E. Tanner

  3. School of Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Omar Martínez

  4. El Pueblo, Inc., Raleigh, NC, USA

    Florence M. Simán

  5. McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Timothy S. Oh

  6. Department of Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., WA, USA

    Jesus Felizzola

  7. Department of Family Medicine, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Ronald A. Brooks

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  1. Department of Health Promotion and Policy, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA

    Airín D. Martínez

  2. Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    Scott D. Rhodes

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Rhodes, S.D. et al. (2020). The Health and Well-Being of Latinx Sexual and Gender Minorities in the USA: A Call to Action. In: Martínez, A., Rhodes, S. (eds) New and Emerging Issues in Latinx Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24043-1_10

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