Healthy People 2020 is a U.S. government initiative that established specific goals for public health. One of its key objectives was the elimination of health disparities in healthcare that are based on gender and race.

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Systematic inequity in accessing and utilizing health resources. Minority groups experience disproportionate discrimination and barriers to health.

Health Disparity

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

An underresearched and underrepresented minority, American Indian and Alaskan Native have the highest mortality and morbidity rates out of all populations. SES constraints as well as the unique difficulty of navigating a federally centralized network of healthcare providers contribute to the prevalance of health disparities in Indiginous people. 

Health Inequity and Indigenous People (AI/AN)

As a specific example of health disparity in the United States, African American women have been documented to have the highest rates of both emergency room visits and unmet healthcare needs when compared to other demographic groups. This particular disparity was observed to have worsened significantly between 2006 and 2014.

Health Disparities Faced by African American Women

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) youth represent another group facing significant health disparities. They frequently encounter poor quality of care, which is often a direct result of stigma, as well as insensitivity and a lack of understanding from healthcare professionals.

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