Pulse Check on Health in America: LGBTQ+ Consumers

Learn how Americans across sexuality approach their health and wellness. Win LGBTQ+ people’s trust by recognizing their unique health struggles and providing tools to solve them.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

December 19, 2023
Jill Rosenfeld – Research Manager

Health and wellness are a major aspect of consumers’ daily lives. Americans spend a significant amount of time – and money – tending to their health. All brands, both within and outside of the health and wellness space, must understand consumers’ attitudes and behaviors in this key area of their lives.

Fill out the form to download an excerpt from Pulse Check on Health in America: LBGTQ+ Consumers and read below for all the latest insights on this segment.

Pulse Check on LGBTQ Health in America - deck sample

Collage Group’s 2023 Pulse Check on LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness provides insights that will help your brand to:

    1. Navigate health barriers LGBTQ+ people face,
    2. Champion mental health awareness and solutions,
    3. Empower LGBTQ+ Americans’ health through community ties.

What surprised us:

Despite real physical and mental health issues, LGBTQ+ Americans often hesitate to consult medical experts. Instead, they prioritize personal trust and turn to their community for health advice first. Distrust in the healthcare system, reinforced by negative medical encounters and fear of discrimination, leads many to postpone or even avoid needed care.

Why it matters:

Culturally competent and affirming care is key to earning LGBTQ+ people’s trust and, ultimately, meeting their nuanced health needs. Providers and insurers must consistently demonstrate commitment to equal and comprehensive treatment of LGBTQ+ patients while equipping them with convenient and efficient self-serve tools.

Online search is a first step people take for LGBTQ+ health research

The Big Picture: 

    1. Mental health is an urgent crisis for many LGBTQ+ Americans. Brands can help LGBTQ+ people overcome the complex intersectional challenges that exacerbate other obstacles to wellbeing.
    2. Interpersonal trust matters more than medical expertise. LGBTQ+ Americans rely on community to navigate a hostile healthcare landscape. Providers can build trust by treating LGBTQ+ patients with individual dignity and empathy.

Key Insight #1: Navigate LGBTQ+ Health Barriers

Know This:

Inherently complex, intersectional identities coupled with systemic discriminatory barriers, hinder LGBTQ+ Americans’ ability to achieve their best health and wellness.

Do This:

    • Advertise your services geared toward the LGBTQ+ community as well as women, Multicultural people, and young people to appeal to LGBTQ+ Americans’ multifaceted needs and generate Halo Effects with broader audiences.
    • Seek out LGBTQ+ voices to help your organization evaluate care provided to the community and then work to dismantle any systemic barriers existing within products and services.
LGBTQ intersectional identity influences all aspects of their lives

Key Insight #2: Champion Mental Health Awareness and Solutions

Know This:

LGBTQ+ Americans are disproportionately afflicted by mental health struggles. As a result, mental health is their top health priority. They welcome brands that destigmatize mental health issues and offer practical, culturally-specific solutions.

Do This:

    • Partner with LGBTQ+ influencers and celebrities to advocate and support open dialogue about mental health.
    • Create culturally-specific resources that address the segment’s unique mental health needs.
The LGBTQ+ community doesn't want to erase the stigma alone

Key Insight #3: Empower LGBTQ+ Health Through Community Ties

Know This:

The LGBTQ+ community leans on their Found Family — online and IRL — to source information and advice on community-specific health topics, resources, accepting providers, and more.

Do This:

    • Showcase the importance of peer-to-peer relationships in your messaging on wellness and caretaking networks.
    • Partner with and promote community-led organizations to leverage their in-culture expertise on the best ways to serve LGBTQ+ people.
LGBTQ+ people are more likely to trust online health information

Contact us today learn how you can partner with us on the journey to cultural fluency and engaging diverse America.

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Jill Rosenfeld

Jill Rosenfeld

Jill is a Research Manager on Collage Group’s Cultural Insights team focusing on the LGBTQ+ and Gender membership. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. In her spare time, Jill enjoys exploring Washington DC’s restaurant scene and practicing yoga.

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