CTRI

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) individuals in India face significant healthcare disparities despite progressive legal advancements [[i], [ii], [iii]]. Deep-rooted social stigma, discrimination, a lack of awareness among healthcare providers, and inadequate policy implementation continue to hinder their access to inclusive healthcare [3,[iv],[v]]. While broad healthcare access is a concern, the specific challenges related to the accessibility and affordability of medicines for this population remain under-explored in the Indian context [[vi][vii]].

· Persistent Discrimination: LGBTQ+ individuals frequently encounter judgment, refusal of treatment, and a lack of understanding from healthcare providers [[viii]].

· Systemic Barriers: Healthcare systems in India often operate within a heteronormative framework [[ix],[x]].

[i] Chakrapani V, Newman PA, Shunmugam M, Rawat S, Mohan BR, Baruah D, Tepjan S. A scoping review of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people’s health in India. PLOS Global Public Health. 2023 Apr 20;3(4):e0001362.

[ii] Goitiandia SW, Agarwal A, Banerjee SC, Bhoo-Pathy N, Bose C, Chittem M, Gursahani R, Ramakrishnan L, Rana S, Salins N, Segarmurthy MV. Beyond the bench: LGBTQ+ health equity after India’s “no same-sex marriage” verdict. The Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia. 2024 Nov 1;30.

[iii] Kaur L. Exploring LGBTQ+ equality in India: A comprehensive examination from anthropological and legal perspectives. Sexuality, Gender & Policy. 2024 May;7(2):220-37.

[iv] Joudeh L, Harris OO, Johnstone E, Heavner-Sullivan S, Propst SK. “Little red flags”: barriers to accessing health care as a sexual or gender minority individual in the rural Southern United States—a qualitative intersectional approach. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. 2021 Jul 1;32(4):467-80.

[v] Kirkley J. Pride in Health: An Investigation into How the Affordable Care Act, Public Accommodation Anti-Discrimination Statutes, and other Pro-LGBTQ+ Laws Affect Health, Healthcare Affordability, and Healthcare Accessibility for the LGBTQ+ Community.

[vi] Holloway BT, Gerke DR, Call J, Hostetter CR, Greenfield JC, Atteberry-Ash B, Walls NE. “The doctors have more questions for us”: Geographic differences in healthcare access and health literacy among transgender and nonbinary communities. Qualitative Social Work. 2023 Nov;22(6):1073-91.

[vii] Charles-Rodriguez U, Ngwezi DP, Damag S, Johnson N, Bharwani A, Ladha T, Salami O. Uncovering systemic barriers related to equity, diversity and inclusion in child health research: a scoping review addressing marginalised communities. BMJ Global Health. 2025 Aug 17;10(8).

[viii] Sileo KM, Baldwin A, Huynh TA, Olfers A, Woo J, Greene SL, Casillas GL, Taylor BS. Assessing LGBTQ+ stigma among healthcare professionals: An application of the health stigma and discrimination framework in a qualitative, community-based participatory research study. Journal of health psychology. 2022 Aug;27(9):2181-96.

[ix] Moitra A, Marathe M, Ahmed SI, Chandra P. Negotiating intersectional non-Normative queer identities in India. InExtended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems 2021 May 8 (pp. 1-6).

[x] Raghuram H, Parakh S, Tugnawat D, Singh S, Shaikh A, Bhan A. Experiences of transgender persons in accessing routine healthcare services in India: Findings from a participatory qualitative study. PLOS Global Public Health. 2024 Feb 29;4(2):e0002933.