LGBTQ+ health and anaesthesia for obstetric and gynaecological procedures

People who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirited and intersex (LGBTQ2SI) make up approximately 10% of the US population. Black, Native American and Latino/a/x communities are known to have a higher percentage of people who self-identify as LGBTQ2SI than white communities. Despite growing acceptance of LGBTQ2SI communities in the USA, these populations continue to experience health inequities. This review article will provide a narrative review of recent publications that discuss topics of LGBTQ2SI health and anaesthetic care during obstetric and gynaecological procedures.

Of the articles reviewed for this study, there were four main themes that emerged: inclusion of LGBTQ2SI health topics in curriculum and provider training materials; social determinants of LGBTQ2SI reproductive and overall health; improving the quality and safety of perioperative care for LGBTQ2SI communities; and disparities in perinatal anaesthetic care for LGTBQ2SI communities.

There are unique considerations when providing anaesthetic care for obstetric and gynaecological procedures to LGBTQ2SI communities. There is a limited, yet growing, body of literature exploring this aspect of perioperative and perinatal care. Researchers and clinicians must continue to pursue clinical research which seeks to improve the quality of care we provide all patients.