Embracing Spectrum: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Journeys in Aesthetic Medicine: A Kaleidoscope of Identity

Overview

Journal Aesthetic Plast Surg

Specialty General Surgery

Date 2024 Mar 19

PMID 38499877

Authors

Eqram Rahman

Parinitha Rao

William Richard Webb

Wolfgang G Philipp-Dormston

Karim Sayed

Ada R T Almeida

Ash Mosahebi

Jean D A Carruthers

Alastair Carruthers

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: This synaptic systemised review critically examines the provision of aesthetic medical care to LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more) individuals, assessing both the clinical practices and the educational frameworks that guide interactions with LGBTQIA+ patients in aesthetic settings.

Methods: Following PRISMA-S guidelines, a comprehensive review was conducted, initially identifying 159 potentially relevant articles. Upon stringent full-text review, 33 studies met the inclusion criteria and were subject to an in-depth thematic analysis. The scope encompassed qualitative studies, quantitative analyses, and a cross section of interdisciplinary research, predominantly from Western settings.

Results: The analysis distilled four principal themes: the imperative of identity affirmation in aesthetic interventions, substantial barriers to inclusive and empathetic care, the critical need for patient empowerment, and the existing deficiencies within medical education regarding LGBTQIA+ care. These themes highlight a complex interplay between the clinical aspirations of LGBTQIA+ individuals and the current capacity of aesthetic medicine to cater to this diversity.

Conclusions: There is a pressing need for a paradigmatic shift towards more inclusive, competent, and sensitive aesthetic medical care for LGBTQIA+ patients. It underscores the necessity of reform in medical education and advocates for policy changes that promote a more equitable healthcare environment. This research serves as a call to action, emphasizing the ethical imperative to integrate comprehensive LGBTQIA+ care competencies into aesthetic medicine curricula and practice.

Level Of Evidence Iv: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Citing Articles

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender clinical competence of health professionals in Poland and Spain: results of the health exclusion research in Europe (HERE) study.

Karniej P, Dissen A, Pietrzykowski L, Juarez-Vela R, Sabater A, Kulinska J BMC Med Educ. 2025; 25(1):144.

PMID: 39881315 PMC: 11780758. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-025-06744-4.

Integrating Psychological Insights into Aesthetic Medicine: A Cross-Generational Analysis of Patient Archetypes (IMPACT Study).

Rahman E, Rao P, Webb W, Garcia P, Ioannidis S, Tam E Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2024; .

PMID: 39187591 DOI: 10.1007/s00266-024-04330-5.

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