LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week (Octber 16-20, 2023)

AIDPH and partners* are thrilled to launch this year’s LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week under the guiding theme, “Solidarity in Action: From Allies to Accomplices.” We know that the LGBTQIA+ community frequently encounters health disparities stemming from medical bias, access barriers, limited social support, and a lack of culturally responsive providers. Together, we’re determined to address these challenges and drive positive change.

Join us from October 16th to the 20th as we delve deeper into the journey from allies to active accomplices in promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Here’s what you can expect during the 2023 LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Week:

• Introspective Journeys: Engage in self-reflection and deepen your understanding of personal biases, beliefs, and behaviors related to LGBTQIA+ inclusivity.
• Practical Tools: Download and use actionable resources, checklists, and toolkits that you can take back to your workplace. These are designed to assist in implementing inclusive protocols and fostering open conversations.
• Community Conversations: Participate in themed discussions on our social platforms, offer insights, share experiences, and learn from a diverse community of professionals.
• Educational Insights: Understand the broader spectrum of LGBTQIA+ issues in dental care and learn how you can play an active role in advocacy and policy changes.

Each day will cover content and resources that together, will help dental health professionals to become accomplices in confronting inequities in care for LGBTQIA+ individuals:

• Monday: Becoming an LGBTQIA+ Accomplice
• Tuesday: Cultural Responsiveness for Oral Health Providers
• Wednesday: Understanding LGBTQIA+ Oral Health Needs
• Thursday: Inclusive Interactions
• Friday: Advocacy in Action

Start gearing up by checking your organizational inclusivity practices, and be ready to share, learn, and grow with us. Follow us on social media or visit AIDPH’s website to participate!

Check out events from Pacific AETC on Oral Health and People with HIV

(Click on the title to register and view the webinar)

Sexually Transmitted Infections and Oral Health for People with HIV​, by Fariba Younai, DDS, Professor and Chair, Division of Diagnostic & Surgical Sciences, UCLA, Oral Health Director, Pacific AIDS Education & Training Center.

Description: Sexually transmitted infections (STI) often manifest orally, and with proper screening and diagnosis, can prevent these infections from advancing further.  In this talk, Dr. Fariba Younai, DDS, will review the transmission and oral presentation of common STIs, in particular to people with HIV. In addition, she will review what oral health and hygiene practices can help prevent the transmission of STIs, and what role oral health professionals can play in assisting patients with STI prevention methods.