State health secretary talks health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community as Pride month closes

North Carolina public health leaders met this week to discuss health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community. 

Kody Kinsley, secretary of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, told a group of panelists the data is clear: people in the LGBTQ community often face an uphill battle when it comes to accessing healthcare. 

“These individuals are less likely to have a regular health care provider, they're more likely to experience stigma, they're more likely to have a negative impact with a health care provider, they're less likely to be insured, they're more likely to have certain diseases," he said. 

Kinsley, who is North Carolina’s first openly gay cabinet secretary, said one major problem is that doctors are often uncomfortable discussing sexuality with their patients. That’s something he said he experienced firsthand. 

“At one of my checkups, they said, you know, 'Do you have a wife?' And I said, 'No.' And they said, 'Oh, do you have a girlfriend?' 'No.' 'Do you have any sexual partners?' And I said 'yes.' And they were confused," he said. 

Kinsley said experiences like that can prompt some people to disengage from treatment. 

Panelists said they’re keeping an eye on the progress of recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation making its way through the statehouse. A bill banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth is now headed to Governor Roy Cooper’s desk.