PUBLICATION
A Narrative Review of Oral Health for Indigenous Gender and Sexual Minorities
Queer Indigenous communities experience unique oral health disparities due to their intersecting racial, cultural, and gender identities. There have been previous studies that have looked at oral health outcomes for Indigenous communities and Queer communities separately; however, limited research has been conducted that addresses their combined impact. This narrative review intends to fill the existing research gap by investigating health access, oral health outcomes, and cultural inclusion for Queer Indigenous communities. A narrative review was conducted to assess the current literature and evidence surrounding the oral health of 2SLGBTQIA+ Indigenous people, recognizing that the available research within the intersection of these three interest areas is limited.
Primary themes:
Measurement and surveillance are critical aspects contributing to the lack of literature in queer Indigenous oral health.
Historically excluded populations like Indigenous gender and sexual minorities are often overlooked by society, further increasing their risk of experiencing health disparities.
Indigenous and queer people experience numerous barriers to accessing healthcare, including provider-to-patient ratios, geographic barriers, and socioeconomic status.
Suggested Citation: Cothron, AE, Nieto, V, Tran, S, Eason, K, Llaneza, AJ, and Seward, J. A Narrative Review of Oral Health for Indigenous Gender and Sexual Minorities. The American Institute on Disparities in Public Health. Chicago, IL. October 2026. https://doi.org/10.58677/ZBAO2000
