#243 PhenoTips: Navigating Barriers in LGBTQIA+ Genetic Care

We are closing out Pride Month with a recent installment of the PhenoTips Speaker Series. DNA Today’s host Kira Dineen is also one of the hosts of the PhenoTips Speaker Series. This live webinar focuses on relevant genetics topics by featuring discussions with thought leaders and experts in genomic medicine. This episode is the 24th installment of the PhenoTips’ Speaker Series, “Navigating Barriers in LGBTQIA+ Genetic Care”.

A 2018 Harvard study found that nearly 1/6th of LGBTQIA+ adults have experienced discrimination in a healthcare setting, while 1/5th have avoided seeking medical care out of fear of discrimination. Efforts have been made in recent years to improve the cultural competency of genetic professionals, however, barriers to compassionate care for LGBTQIA+ individuals persist. In an environment of changing healthcare legislation and increased hostility towards the LBGTQIA+ community, creating a safe space for patients is more challenging than ever.

Panelists:

Dr. Jehannine Austin (they/them) Executive Director of BC Mental Health, Professor in Psychiatry & Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia

Andy Cantor, CGC (she/they/he) Senior Genetic Counselor & Certified Trainer on Trans and Non-Binary Competency at Labcorp

Josephine Giblin, CGC (she/her) Genetic Counsellor at NHS Bristol

Katie Gallagher, CGC (she/her) Assistant Program Director at Sarah Lawrence College

In this episode’s panel discussion moderated by Kira Dineen, our panel of international experts and advocates discusses:

• Protecting patients during times of unprecedented legislation
• Creating psychologically safe and inclusive environments
• Supporting access to equitable care
• Representation in family history collection
• Resources and best practices to support LBGTQIA+ colleagues and patients

Last year we also celebrated pride month with PhenoTips. In Episode #189 we interviewed two experts from PhenoTips, Orion Buske and Erica Peacock about building inclusive pedigrees. We also released last year’s PhenoTips Speaker Series Pride installment on Episode #190, which focuses on providing gender affirming care, specifically in the genetic counseling space. As a queer member of the LGBTQIA+ community, our host Kira Dineen is excited to share all these episodes, including this week’s!

These webinars are sponsored by PhenoTips. During these live events we interview leaders in the field of genetics and moderate questions live from the audience. Check out upcoming installments by heading over to PhenoTips.com where you can also stream all the webinars from the last three years.

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on July 7th where we continue our History of Genetic Counseling Series, this time joined by seasoned genetic counselor Ginny Corson! New episodes are released every Friday. In the meantime, you can binge over 240 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video which you can watch on our YouTube channel.

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Our Outreach Intern is Sanya Tinaikar. Our Social Media Intern is Kajal Patel. And our Graphic Designer Ashlyn Enokian.

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