This article explores health care issues of special concern to lesbians. Homophobia and challenges to accessing safe health care. Gynecological and breast health concerns.
Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Issues and Research Gaps Opportunities Board on the Health of Select Populations
Assesses the state of science on the health status of LGBT populations, identifies research gaps and opportunities, and outlines a research agenda for the National Institute of Health. Examines the health status of these populations in three life stages: childhood and adolescence, early/middle adulthood, and later adulthood. At each life stage, the committee studied mental health, physical health, risks and protective factors, health services, and contextual influences. Finds that 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. Sets an agenda for “essential” research needed to form a fuller understanding of LGBT health issues.
Peer-reviewed journal that examines the cultural, historical, and interpersonal impact of the lesbian experience on society, keeping all readers—professional, academic, or general—informed and up to date on current findings, resources, and community concerns.
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Lesbian and bisexual women and trans people are less likely to get pap tests according to Statistics Canada. A working group called the Queer Women's Health Initiative was formed and the Check it Out campaign was created to encourage queer people to access pap tests.
Presents a manual to help therapists/counsellors create an environment where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, transsexual, two-spirit, intersex, and queer (LGBTTTIQ) clients feel comfortable identifying themselves as such.
Provides a focus on LGBT public health, offering positive direction for practitioners looking for guidance in methods to take into consideration the special needs of sexual minorities.
Discusses the risk factors of women who have sex with women for contracting STIs. Suggests questions that health care providers can ask to encourage open dialogue with women about their individual risk factors.
Presents information on the complex relationships between sexual orientation and substance use. Argues for better addiction services for lesbian and bisexual women.
Includes bibliographical references and index. --- Co-published simultaneously as Journal of lesbian studies, volume 9, number 3, 2005. --- Review, April 2006: Lesbians and bisexual women are more likely than heterosexual women to report alcohol and substance abuse, yet existing alcohol and drug services are inadequate to meet the needs of this community. Substance use for these women is often enmeshed in issues relating to sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or making connections with queer people and communities. Lesbian substance users aren't able to bring forward the whole of their experiences when they are in environments that are non-supportive and where they experience homophobia. They become invisible. This book is a step in helping to create environments in which the hurt of invisibility can begin to be healed. The various papers captured here highlight how a lesbian sensitive perspective on lesbian health and substance use can shed new light on this neglected research area, as well as illuminate important areas of concern for treaters and researchers alike.
Argues that lesbophobia and fat-oppression work together to einforce violence against women of all body shapes and sizes and across the continuum of sexual orientation.
