Affiliation:
1. Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
2. Department of Management, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
3. Department of Public Health and Paediatric Sciences, University of Turin, Via Santena 5 bis, 10126 Turin, Italy
4. AOU City of Health and Science of Turin, Turin, Italy
5. Health Local Unit ASL TO3, Turin, Italy
Abstract
Aims: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other people (LGBT+) individuals may have a greater risk of experiencing mental and physical health issues. In the past years, the predominant theme of research was HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study aimed to explore the most recent patterns in medical research concerning LGBT+ persons. Methods: A bibliometric analysis using Biblioshiny was conducted. Based on previous studies, years of observation ranged between 2008 and 2021. Web of Science Core Collection was used. Results: A total of 31,039 articles were selected. Top journals centered around HIV/AIDS and STIs ( n = 6), followed by sexual behaviors/sexuality ( n = 2) and LGBT+ health ( n = 2). The US led in research output ( n = 16,249). Papers were categorized into three main clusters (which showed different evolution across time): one addressing HIV/AIDS, STIs, and sexual behaviors, another focusing on mental health, discrimination, and stigma, and a third, smaller cluster examining transgender, intersex, and gender-diverse health. Conclusions: This article highlighted a growth in LGBT+ health research, uncovering research disparities among countries. While HIV/AIDS and STIs still dominated, a crucial theme concerning mental health, discrimination, and stigma has been rising. Declining interest in gender-diverse health, and disparities in research attention to different LGBT+ subgroups, underscored the need for more comprehensive and inclusive research to address complex health disparities.