.jpg "Shetal Shah, MD FAAP (he/him/his) photo")
Shetal Shah, MD FAAP (he/him/his)
Professor of Pediatrics
Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, New York Medical College
Syosset, New York, United States
Advocates have made historic progress in recent decades advancing legal protections for the LGBTQ community. However, LGBTQ youth continue to experience disparate health outcomes in comparison to their peers and face barriers to achieving optimal health and well-being. Furthermore, there is an ongoing, coordinated effort at the state level to discriminate against transgender and gender-diverse youth by enacting legislation contrary to the guidance of professional medical organizations that bans lifesaving gender-affirming care and perpetuates discrimination and stigma through harmful policies. These efforts threaten significant harm to this population, and it is critical to engage elected officials to ensure public policy advances health equity for LGBTQ youth. This session will focus on opportunities to promote the health and well-being of LGBTQ youth in the current political environment. It will review the LGBTQ child health policies being debated and explain the impact of these policies on young people. Mark Del Monte, JD, chief executive officer and executive vice president at the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Shetal Shah, MD, chair of the Pediatric Policy Council will be joined by an LGBTQ advocate to offer commentary and engage the audience in dialogue on these critical public policy issues.
Speaker: Mark Del Monte, JD – American Academy of Pediatrics