Enhancing dental and dental hygiene student awareness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population

Although cultural competence education is being incorporated into most health care curricula, content addressing sexual minorities is lacking or, if present, inadequate. This void can result in compromised health care and can contribute to the social stigma surrounding the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Increasing the knowledge and demystifying sexual minority issues can enhance the confidence and attitudes of health care workers when treating LGBT individuals. Suggestions for creating a more welcoming health care environment for LGBT individuals in different health care settings such as private clinics, public health settings and school based programs are offered. The purpose of this literature review was to systematically review available literature on health care providers' delivery of culturally competent care to the LGBT community. The investigators searched electronic databases that included Medline (Ovid), Eric and PubMed with consultation from information specialists at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland. The information was categorized into content areas. Discussion of the findings and future directions regarding health care delivery for the LGBT community are provided.