LGBTQ+ Health Training in Public Health: A Pathway to Achieving SDG3.7

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)3, Target 3.7, calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and requires the explicit inclusion of sexual and gender minority populations. LGBTQ+ people continue to experience disproportionate burdens of disease, stigma, and discrimination – inequities compounded by exclusionary policies and limited provider competence within health systems. Despite these challenges, LGBTQ+ communities demonstrate resilience, resourcefulness, and innovation. Public health training that affirms and integrates LGBTQ health can help reduce disparities while advancing innovation in prevention, care, and equity. This chapter highlights the first Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration in LGBTQ health, launched at the Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH) in 2019. Drawing on perspectives from alumni and students, we demonstrate how embedding LGBTQ health into public health curricula equips graduates with the competencies to describe and analyse disparities, synthesise evidence, design inclusive research, and apply intersectional approaches to advocacy within this community and across other vulnerable groups. Inclusive education helps advance the global commitment to ensure that no one is left behind.