Striving for inclusivity
In Australia and worldwide, people who identify as part of LGBTIQA+ communities experience poorer health outcomes than people in the broader community.1-3
Personal experiences of stigma and discrimination – and the fear of encountering stigma and discrimination – mean that LGBTIQA+ people are more likely to avoid or delay seeking or accessing appropriate healthcare services.2,3
While positive steps have been made in recent years, there’s still work to be done to help improve the health and well-being of LGBTIQA+ people, and their access to and engagement with healthcare.2,3
Here at GenesisCare, we believe that all patients should be treated inclusively and strive to deliver welcoming healthcare services that embrace and support all people, no matter how they identify.
Welcoming healthcare for all
We are committed to ongoing improvement to ensure our care centres and care teams are well-equipped to provide an inclusive and welcoming healthcare environment to all people in LGBTIQA+ communities.
As part of this commitment, we have registered all GenesisCare centres with the Welcome Here Project. This project helps businesses and services throughout Australia create and promote environments that are visibly inclusive and welcoming to all members of LGBTIQA+ communities. To learn more about the Welcome Here Project, please visit their website at: www.welcomehere.org.au.
Other recent steps we’ve taken include:
- Updated patient registration forms to include nonbinary gender options - we ask this question to allow us to ensure the people who visit each centre are getting the care and support relevant to their needs
- Diversity and inclusion education and training for all members of our care teams
Useful resources
For more information about how cancer and its treatment may affect LGBTIQA+ people, you can download the “LGBTQI+ People and Cancer” booklet from the Cancer Council website at: www.cancercouncil.com.au/cancer-information/lgbtqi.
If you have any questions or concerns about your experience at GenesisCare, please reach out to a member of your care team. You can also provide feedback here or contact your care centre directly.
*Other variations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual, and other sexually or gender diverse (LGBTIQA+) acronym exist to describe people and groups who identify as sexually or gender diverse. We acknowledge the limitations of this term to fully encompass peoples’ sexualities, genders, relationships, and experiences.4
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- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018. Australia’s health 2018. Australia’s health series no. 16. AUS 221. Canberra: AIHW. Available: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2018/contents/overview (accessed July 2023).
- Perales, F. Aust NZ J Public Health. 2019;43(3), 281-287.
- Pride in Health + Wellbeing. LGBTQ Health Statistics. Infographics 2020-2023. Available: https://www.prideinhealth.com.au/pride-in-health-statistics/ (accessed July 2023).
- Australian Institute of Family Studies. LGBTIQA+ glossary of common terms. Child Family Community Australia (CFCA) Resource Sheet – February 2022. Available: https://aifs.gov.au/resources/resource-sheets/lgbtiqa-glossary-common-terms (accessed July 2023).