QWANZ

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals are said...   >>>

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals are said



"At a time when lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals — often referred to under the umbrella acronym LGBT — are becoming more visible in society and more socially acknowledged, clinicians and researchers are faced with incomplete information about their health status," states the report, which was released last week. "The IOM finds that to advance understanding of the health needs of all LGBT individuals, researchers need more data about the demographics of these populations, improved methods for collecting and analyzing data, and an increased participation of sexual and gender minorities in research."



Combined with other factors like age, ethnicity and socioeconomic background, a patient's sexual orientation can create specific risk profiles. For example, LGBT teenagers have higher risks of depression, suicide and substance abuse than straight teens. Also, aging LGBT individuals are more likely than other seniors to rely on friends for caregiving, mostly because they are less likely to have children. But data on these groups are spotty and incomplete, which makes it difficult for doctors and public health officials to serve their needs.





Photo: Flickr