Your voice, your health: Partnering with your clinician for LGBTQIA+ care
6/5/2025 by Matthew Heinrich, M.D., M.B.A.
Mayo Clinic is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming healthcare environment for all patients, including LGBTQIA+ patients and their families.
To provide the most comprehensive and personalized care, your healthcare clinician needs to understand your unique identity. While biological sex is assigned at birth, gender identity – one's internal sense of self – is a deeply personal experience that may or may not align with societal expectations. Similarly, sexuality encompasses the spectrum of attraction, encompassing attraction to men, women, both or neither.
Open and honest communication about your gender identity, sexual orientation and sexual activity is crucial for assessing your individual health risks and tailoring your care plan.
To facilitate this important conversation, we offer these guidelines:
- Embrace this safe space. Your privacy is paramount. All discussions with your clinician are confidential and protected by law, ensuring a safe environment for sharing sensitive information.
- Proactively share your pronouns and identity. Help us understand how you wish to be addressed. Clearly communicate your preferred name and pronouns, as well as those of any accompanying partner or support person.
- Be transparent about your health history. A complete and honest health history, including past and present illnesses, partners and sexual practices, empowers your clinician to provide the most effective and individualized care.
- Offer constructive feedback. Your insights are invaluable. By providing feedback, you contribute to the ongoing improvement of our practices and enhance the care we provide for all patients. Don't hesitate to correct your clinician, your voice matters.
Providing this information lets your care team personalize recommendations for the most appropriate care to ensure your health and well-being. The Fenway Institute provides a free resource, “Do Ask, Do Tell,” which may be helpful when talking to your care team.
Matthew Heinrich, M.D., M.B.A., is an internal medicine physician in Community Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He earned his medical degree at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine and completed residency in internal medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. His interests include education, evidence-based medicine and care of LGBTQIA+ patients.