Discrimination experienced by LGBTQIAPN+ individuals and access to dental services: A cross-sectional study

EstudIo Transversal

Authors

  • Igor Campos Guimarães Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) – Juiz de Fora (MG), Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7000-4443
  • Ana Carla Batista Domiciano Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) – Juiz de Fora (MG), Brasil.
  • Isabel Cristina Gonçalves Leite Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) – Juiz de Fora (MG), Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1258-7331

Keywords:

Sexual and Gender Minorities, Oral Health, Equity in Access to Health Services, Perceived Discrimination

Abstract

Sexual and gender minority individuals experience discrimination daily, including when seeking health care. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between discrimination and the seeking of, difficulty in accessing, and recent use of dental services. A total of 762 Brazilian LGBTQIAPN+ individuals completed an online questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, experiences of discrimination, and access to dental services. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association between independent variables, organized into five blocks, and outcomes related to access to dental services. Results are presented as Odds Ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Overall, 16.8% of participants reported hesitation in attending dental services due to a perceived lack of acceptance regarding their gender identity and sexual orientation; 30.4% had not sought dental services in the past year; and 5.4% reported difficulty accessing them. Discrimination was not associated with the outcomes, but hesitation in attending services remained associated with seeking dental care (OR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.33–0.91) and with difficulty in accessing services (OR = 4.35; 95% CI: 1.40–13.54). Therefore, although discrimination was not directly associated with access to dental services

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Published

2026-05-23

How to Cite

1.
Campos Guimarães I, Batista Domiciano AC, Gonçalves Leite IC. Discrimination experienced by LGBTQIAPN+ individuals and access to dental services: A cross-sectional study: EstudIo Transversal. Saúde Debate [Internet]. 2026 May 23 [cited 2026 May 23];50(149). Available from: https://revista.saudeemdebate.org.br/sed/article/view/11103

Issue

Vol. 50 No. 149 (2026): Saúde em Debate

Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Saúde em Debate

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Data statement

  • The research data is contained in the manuscript

  • The research data cannot be made publicly available

    • The remaining research data, besides those provided in the manuscript, cannot be made available at the request of our university's research ethics committee reviewer and due to the confidentiality statement in the substantiated ethics committee opinion.