Transgender and LGBT Health
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) individuals are those who are unique in terms of either sexuality, gender identity or both. A transgender person is somebody whose gender does not align with their birth sex. A lesbian is a female who is attracted to other females. A gay person is a male attracted to other males. A bisexual individual is somebody who is attracted to more than one gender.

Gender identity and sex are separate. Sex refers to the biological characteristics an individual had at birth, while gender identity refers to one’s understanding of oneself in terms of subjective masculine, feminine or androgynous traits and characteristics. While gender identity is often correlated with sex, this is not always the case, for example, transgender people have a gender identity differing from their birth sex.

LGBT people have an elevated risk of suicide, suicidal ideation and severe psychological distress. As I will discuss, the solution is not to judge, denigrate or discriminate against LGBT people, but to empathise, understand and accept them.