Yesterday sex, intimacy and relationships therapist, Emma Ziff, gave her advice on the best ways to talk inclusively to patients.

Read today’s episode to find out more about the correct terminology and putting your patients at ease.

Correct terminology

When having private consultations, using the right language will help LBGT patients to relax and feel more at ease and open up about any personal issues they may have. They could be struggling with their sexuality and many need to define themselves to fit in to a community. There are many terms, which they could use, including:

Genderqueer: used to define someone who moves between both genders and does not define themselves as one or the other.

Pansexual: someone who experiences sexual, romantic, and/or physical attraction for members of all gender identities.

Asexual: a person who generally does not experience, or very little, sexual attraction to any group of people.

Intersex: a person with a set of sexual anatomy that does not fit within the labels of female or male.

Feeling comfortable

Openness and kindness will have your patients feeling comfortable and sharing issues with you, leading to better service and of course patient sales. Often the LGBT community will ‘come out’ to their doctor or pharmacist as a trusted medical professional who can advise them on a wide variety of subjects: community support, physical and mental health, relationships.

Understanding the different issues and lifestyles of your LGBT patients is not pigeonholing them because of their identity; it’s how their identity can relate to their behaviour.

Join us again tomorrow as we reveal key statistics and common LGBT concerns.