The LGTQIA+ community expects to hear more frequently from healthcare brands about a wide array of medical concerns, according to a report released by CMI Media Group  Wednesday. 

Instead of fixating on medical issues many often associate with members of the LGBTQIA+ community solely during Pride Month, healthcare brands are encouraged to take a whole-person approach to the physical, mental and emotional health of the community. 

Communicating and advertising effectively to the LGTBQIA+ community has long been a challenge for medical marketers due to industry blind spots. 

These failings have not only impacted the work produced by agencies but also the patients they’re seeking to reach.  

A report released last summer found that patients who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community said they receive less information and use fewer preventive care services compared to the overall population.

In addition to care delivery, the CMI report, conducted in partnership with LGBTQIA+ research firm Community Marketing & Insights, indicated that members of the community also care about seeing LGBTQIA+ values reflected at the corporate level. 

This is an especially important consideration in light of a recent wave of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation as well as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which eroded consumer trust in brands. A report released in mid-October found that more than 40% of LGBTQIA+ consumers were more likely to change their purchasing decisions due to the Supreme Court’s ruling.

CMI, a 2022 MM+M Agency 100 honoree, said that this is an opportunity for life sciences manufacturers to “not only build connections, but also to redefine health” among the LGBTQIA+ community.

“The LGBTQ+ community is incredibly diverse and deserving of personalized information and support from healthcare brands,” CMI Media Group CEO Dr. Susan Dorfman said in a statement. “Our research aims to help our clients and the greater health industry to understand how to serve this community in a way that is respectful and valuable.” 

The CMI report was released the same day that a Gallup poll found that 7.2% of Americans identify themselves as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, which is double what it was when the poll was first taken in 2012. 

The agency also issued the report weeks after announcing the next phase of its global expansion, highlighted by opening a new regional hub in London and hiring Matt Durham as its global director.