LGBTQAI+ Primary Health Care: Essential Knowledge for Inclusive Community Practice Webinar

The Dr Rosita G Leong Primary Healthcare Hub (RGL Hub), together with the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH) and Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI), hosted its first installment of the Primary Care webinar series last June 19, 2025. This series targets all allied healthcare professionals, to augment the knowledge gap of meticulously selected topics that have been consulted with experts in primary healthcare and rural community practice.

In line with Pride Month, this series launched its inaugural webinar entitled “LGBTQAI+ Primary Care: Essential Knowledge for Inclusive Community Practice,” which focused on managing the LGBTQAI+ community and learning to identify, manage, and treat them by providing more knowledge and bridging the information gap. Dr Dean Patrick Eugene “Deano” Reyes, an ASMPH alumnus expert in LGBTQ+ Health and Sexual Health, and a DOH Certified HIV Primary Care Provider, served as the resource speaker. A total of 450 participants registered for the event. 

Dr Reyes, also a trained Primary Mental Healthcare provider and an Associate of the Philippine Society of Venereology, spoke about how LGBTQAI+ health is a lens which all healthcare practitioners from all specialties must incorporate in their practice to provide inclusive care. He expounded on the major health challenges the community faces including stigma and discrimination, HIV-AIDS, and mental health. With the prevailing stigma surrounding the LGBTQAI+ community and their sociocultural barriers to health, Dr Reyes also highlighted methods to make clinical care more inclusive including communication skills (e.g. asking for the preferred names and pronouns, using neutral terms), incorporating essential clinical practices (e.g. making the clinic a safe space, normalizing sexual health screenings for all orientations), and most importantly remaining respectful and non-judgmental. 

The talk was followed by an open forum, moderated by Dr Chris Uy, also an ASMPH alumnus, and part of the LGBTQAI+ community. Dr Reyes and Dr Uy provided insight on bracketing or setting aside one's values and remaining kind when treating patients. Dr Reyes also shed light on the role of primary care physicians in providing support to LGBTQAI+ patients by validating their feelings, asking about what they want to discuss during consultation, and ensuring confidentiality. 

Participants are also given copies of resource materials to further support the RGL Hub’s goal of improving primary healthcare in the Philippines, in line with the RGL Hub’s mission to make Equitable Health for All a reality.

The RGL Hub is the lead office in the Ateneo de Manila University’s network working on strengthening and supporting primary care in the Philippines. For potential partnerships and collaborations with the RGL Hub, interested parties may reach out to Dr TJ Malvar or Dr Rafael Garcia via email at rglhub@ateneo.edu.