Earlier this year we were commissioned by The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to ensure young people were involved in the review of their ‘Supporting LGBTQ+ Children and Young People principles’ statement. This statement is used by the college to recommend best practice to practitioners and affiliated professionals on how to appropriately address the needs of LGBTQ+ young people.
We spoke to young people from across the UK in groups and 1-1 interviews. Our aim was to hear their perspectives and experiences of current practice and to discuss what, if any, changes, edits and updates were needed to the statement.
A variety of key topics came up in our conversations with young people. Safety for young people was a key topic of concern. Confidentiality and discretion were really important to young people in order to keep them safe. We heard some experiences of young people being ‘outed’ by ‘accident’ where these systems were not in place. Young people also wanted safe advocacy and support from adults or professionals when addressing topics, made more complex by how they identified, with their GP and other professionals.
Young people strongly advocated for health professionals to recognise their individuality. Several conversations highlighted the importance of understanding the different needs of young people within the very broad LGBTQ+ community. The need for gender affirming care and preferred names being used was seen as paramount as a first step to help young people feel they are being listened to and understood.
Recommendations from young people included:
- Better parent/carer public information and education
- Better and more specific training for doctors and other health professionals
- Raise awareness of specific support resources for young people.
Read our report ‘A review with LGBTQ+ young people led by Association for Young People’s Health 2024′.
Read the RCPCH ‘Supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people – principle statement’.
Find out more about our work with young people on our resources page.
Author: Nick Morgan, AYPH Youth Engagement & Partnership Project Manager
November 2024