Only 6% of LGBTQ+ People Say They Aren’t Getting a COVID Vaccine

Author: Alex Cooper

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has released new research examining COVID-19 and LGBTQ+ health equity. Data from the study shows that LGBTQ+ people are very likely to be vaccinated and they are also more likely to be concerned about the Delta variant — about 20 percent more concerned than non-LGBTQ+ people. 

Of those surveyed by HRC, 91 percent of LGBTQ+ people reported being vaccinated. That’s compared to a little more than 58 percent of the general U.S. population, according to NPR.

HRC reported that only 6 percent of LGBTQ+ respondents said they were not getting the vaccine, while 60 percent said they had “a great deal of confidence” in the COVID-19 vaccines.

“Even though LGBTQ+ people are likely getting vaccinated at impressively high rates, the evidence suggests that the community may have also gotten COVID-19 at disproportionately higher rates and are far more concerned about the dangers of the Delta variant,” said Jay Brown, HRC’s senior vice president of programs, research, and training. “The data shows what we have long known — those living at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities bear the brunt of this pandemic. We are living through a global health crisis with no clear end in sight, that is why it is crucial for every person to get vaccinated and for vaccination efforts to be inclusive of marginalized communities.”

Around 20 percent of LGBTQ+ adults reported already having COVID-19.

HRC examined for the first time how those undergoing hormone replacement therapy felt about the vaccine as well as those taking medication to treat or prevent HIV.

The organization found that 20 percent of LGBTQ+ adults undergoing hormone replacement therapy reported concerns about how a COVID-19 vaccine could affect them. HRC also found that 32 percent of LGBTQ+ adults surveyed were concerned that a COVID-19 vaccine would negatively affect them due to being on medication to treat or prevent HIV. HRC noted that was regardless of their status. Breaking that down further, 39 percent of Black LGBTQ+ adults and 34 percent of Latinx LGBTQ+ adults surveyed responded with a similar concern.

“This research is crucial because it is the first-of-its-kind and it achieved such a large number of LGBTQ+ participants—that allows researchers to understand COVID-19 response differences within our community by gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and generation,” David Paisley, insights senior research director at HRC, said. “The data also allows us to understand the unique concerns within our community, such as vaccine interaction concerns with HIV medications and hormone therapies.”

Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Alex Cooper