Contribute to the first federal report on LGBT health disparities
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are fully aware of the obstacles they face in receiving quality, competent and affordable health care. From the uncomfortable assumptions medical providers sometimes make about LGBT people’s lives to the high costs of inequality in health insurance coverage and treatments, the health care roadblocks for LGBT people are varied and often hard to address.
How do you know if your new PCP is biased against LGBT people until you’re sitting through a difficult exam? How do you convince an insurance company that covering transition-related procedures and hormone therapies for transgender people is central to their health? HIV/AIDS advocates have long known that discomfort with the medical field contributes greatly to HIV testing aversion and mismanaged care.
In response to these unjust realities, activists and organizations have pushed city, state and federal governments to better address the health care needs of the LGBT community. One outcome of these advocacy efforts is the first federal report on LGBT health and health disparities, being created by the Institute of Medicine. In addition to providing an overview of LGBT health issues, the report aims to identify research opportunities and gaps in LGBT health and propose recommendations for a research agenda at the National Institutes of Health.
The National Coalition for LGBT Health, of which AIDS Action Committee is a member, is encouraging people to submit comments on the project by February 1st. Learn more about the report and make your voice heard on this important issue here.
