Research for LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and otherwise identifying) people with Parkinson’s disease remains “remarkably scant”, according to a new US study published in the journal ‘Parkinsonism & Related Disorders’.
The article, ‘Expanding Sexual and Gender Minority Research in Movement Disorders: More Than Awareness and Acceptance’ highlights some of the challenges facing people in the LGBTQ+ Parkinson’s community – including discrimination in healthcare, a lack of recorded data around gender identity and the need for best practice guidelines and inclusive support groups.
Dr Chi-Ying Roy Lin, the first author of the study, said: “I have had patients who are reluctant to reveal their identity because of fear they will get denied healthcare.”
In the study, he wrote: “We need to create a safe environment in healthcare institutions to disclose sexual orientation and gender identity to better impact care and access to resources.”
