SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Sociol.
Sec. Medical Sociology
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1567887
This article is part of the Research TopicNavigating Equality: Addressing Stigma and Discrimination Against Sexual and Gender Minorities in Access to Gender-Affirming HealthcareView all 6 articles
The health consequences of stigma and discrimination: A systematic review and meta-analysis of their impact on black non-binary individuals in sub-Saharan Africa
Provisionally accepted
Ikekhwa Albert Ikhile*
Azwihangwisi Helen Mavhandu-Mudzusi- University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Sub-Saharan Africa Black non-binary individuals face pervasive discrimination that significantly impacts their health outcomes. However, these unique experiences are underreported. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-compliant methodology was used in this study to systematically examine the health impacts of stigma and discrimination on this population. The search includes 15 studies across 13 countries addressing mental health outcomes, physical health vulnerabilities, and barriers to and utilisation of healthcare services. Mental health outcomes revealing widespread psychological distress were reported in 14 of the 15 selected studies. The study found that 74% of participants exhibited symptoms of depression, 65% reported symptoms of anxiety, and 45% experienced suicidal ideation, revealing a significant mental health burden among the target population. Increased vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes were found. The conditions were exacerbated by multifaceted discrimination and lack of access to healthcare services, with 75% of the participants confirming challenges accessing gender-affirming healthcare. Healthcare provider bias, a lack of culturally competent services, and systemic barriers such as inequities in healthcare systems were found to be the key barriers constraining timely and equitable access to necessary medical interventions. This study calls for the urgent implementation of targeted, evidence-based interventions to address the disproportionate health burdens experienced by Black non-binary individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the importance of inclusive healthcare policies and practices to promote health equity for this marginalized population.
Keywords: Black non-binary individuals, Discrimination, stigma, sub-Saharan Africa, Health Outcomes
Received: 28 Jan 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ikhile and Mavhandu-Mudzusi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ikekhwa Albert Ikhile, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.