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Chapter 7: Reproductive Health and Parenting in Gender and Sexual Minority Populations

Additional resources for this chapter

instructor material

DOI:

10.1891/9780826133786.0007

Authors

  • Barefoot, K. Nikki

Abstract

The sexual/reproductive health and parenting needs and experiences of gender and sexual minority (GSM) individuals are critical components of their overall health and well-being. However, these topics are scarcely represented within GSM health research and are often overlooked or minimized by health care professionals. The research that is available highlights that GSM individuals face a multitude of sexual and reproductive health disparities and barriers to care that vary significantly across GSM identities. This chapter provides an overview of the unique sexual and reproductive health, family planning, and parenting needs and experiences of cisgender sexual minority women, cisgender sexual minority men, and gender minority individuals separately, in addition to providing recommendations for health care professionals working with these subgroups within the realms of reproductive health and parenting. Despite the challenges, research consistently finds that children raised by GSM parents are equally healthy and well-adjusted as those raised by cisgender heterosexual parents.