Structural Inequalities and Health Outcomes for Chronic Disease- Chapter 12: Structural inequalities and health in special populations: women, men, and sexual and gender minorities

Structural inequities related to systems of education, housing, and health care, for example, lead to disparities in health by race, sex, and gender. These structural inequalities impact health at individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels. This is especially true for special populations that include women, men, and sexual and gender minorities. Structural inequities result in poor outcomes and increased health disparities for these population subgroups. While reasons for the health disparities observed in women, men, and sexual and gender minorities remain widely unknown, evidence points to structural inequities as considerable etiologies for these differences in health. To understand the impact of structural inequities on health outcomes for women, men, and sexual and gender minorities, this chapter focuses on reporting how structural inequities have differentially impacted women, men, and sexual and gender minorities for various chronic diseases and conditions. Conceptual frameworks are provided to demonstrate pathways and mechanisms for how outcomes are influenced by structural inequities and to offer a path forward when approaching new strategies for health. Strategies are provided to mitigate the relationships between structural inequities and health outcomes for women, men, and sexual and gender minorities to progress toward health that thrives for all.