Health status, behavior, and care of lesbian and bisexual women in Israel.

INTRODUCTION: Lesbian and bisexual women (LBs) have unique health needs compared with heterosexual women (HW). AIM: This study aimed to associate the health status of LB, their health behavior, disclosure of sexual orientation (SO), and avoidance of health care with that of HW. METHODS: Participants in this cross-sectional study completed anonymous questionnaires, which were distributed in Internet sites and public venues in Israel, comparing health behaviors and outcomes between LB and HW. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Health outcomes included subjective health status, general practitioner or gynecologist visit in the last 6 months, and satisfaction from the Israeli healthcare system. RESULTS: In 2012, 681 (34.4%) lesbians, 242 (13.5%) bisexual women, and 937 (52.1%) HW completed the questionnaire. In comparison with HW, LBs were more commonly single, used drugs/alcohol, smoked, experienced eating disorders, and reported an earlier sexual debut. In comparison with all women, lesbians performed less physical activities and were more satisfied with their body weight, whereas bisexuals had riskier sexual behavior and reported more verbal/physical abuse. LB reported more emergency room visits, more visits to psychiatrists, yet underwent Pap smears less frequently compared with HW. In a multivariate analysis, lesbians had fewer gynecologists' visits and were less satisfied with the healthcare system than HW, whereas bisexuals visited their general practitioner or gynecologist less frequently and were less satisfied with the primary healthcare system. Lesbians were more likely to disclose their SO with their doctors than bisexuals and were satisfied with the disclosure. Nondisclosure of SO was correlated with poor subjective health status. The interaction between being bisexual and nondisclosure of SO was strong. CONCLUSIONS: LB utilized health care less frequently than HW, resulting in unmet medical needs. SO disclosure was associated with better healthcare utilization and health outcomes, especially among bisexuals. Providers should be trained about LB's unique health needs and improve their communication skills to encourage SO disclosure.

Comprehensive transgender healthcare: the gender affirming clinical and public health model of Fenway Health.

This report describes the evolution of a Boston community health center's multidisciplinary model of transgender healthcare, research, education, and dissemination of best practices. This process began with the development of a community-based approach to care that has been refined over almost 20 years where transgender patients have received tailored services through the Transgender Health Program. The program began as a response to unmet clinical needs and has grown through recognition that our local culturally responsive approach that links clinical care with biobehavioral and health services research, education, training, and advocacy promotes social justice and health equity for transgender people. Fenway Health's holistic public health efforts recognize the key role of gender affirmation in the care and well-being of transgender people worldwide.

Taking a Sexual History and Creating Affirming Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People.

MISSISSIPPI RANKS AMONG THE TOP STATES IN THE COUNTRY FOR RATES OF HIV AND STDs. Among those at highest risk are gay and bisexual men and transgender women; yet these groups often delay or avoid care because they fear being misunderstood or stigmatized. This article focuses on how providers in Mississippi can minimize these barriers by taking sexual histories that are inclusive and affirming of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The article also offers strategies for improving the environment of care within health care organizations in order to create welcoming and safe spaces for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

Promoting the successful development of sexual and gender minority youths.

Because of societal discomfort with atypical expressions of sexual orientation and gender identity, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youths have experienced enhanced developmental challenges compared with their heterosexual peers. A recent special issue of the American Journal of Public Health delineated how social stigma affecting LGBT youths has resulted in a wide range of health disparities, ranging from increased prevalence of depression and substance use to downstream effects, such as an increased risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease when older. We review the clinical significance of these findings for health care professionals, who need to become informed about these associations to provide better care for their sexual and gender minority youth patients, and to be able to educate their parents and other caregivers.

Men who have sex with men in India: a diverse population in need of medical attention.

A significant proportion of men engage in sexual relationships with other men which has direct health implications, but the unique health care needs of these patients are often ignored or overlooked. Moreover, due to a fear of stigmatization by the medical community, one of the more significant health risks for men who have sex with men (MSM) may be that they avoid routine or appropriate health care. Physicians and other providers can help overcome this barrier and improve the health care of MSM by keeping a non-judgmental attitude toward these patients, differentiating sexual behaviour from sexual identity, communicating with gender neutral terms, and maintaining awareness of how their own attitudes affect clinical judgment. The purpose of this article is to help contextualize health issues affecting MSM and provide a framework for physicians and other providers to deliver optimum and appropriate health care for men who have sex with men in India.

Addressing intimate partner violence in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender patients.

The medical community's efforts to address intimate partner violence (IPV) have often neglected members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population. Heterosexual women are primarily targeted for IPV screening and intervention despite the similar prevalence of IPV in LGBT individuals and its detrimental health effects. Here, we highlight the burden of IPV in LGBT relationships, discuss how LGBT and heterosexual IPV differ, and outline steps clinicians can take to address IPV in their LGBT patients.

[Access to quality primary care for LGBT people]. / Vers un accès a des soins de qualité pour les personnes lesbiennes, gays, bisexuelles et transgenres.

This article offers a comprehensive approach to the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, where respect for diversity and non judgemental care play a central role. It calls for a health and medical vision that goes beyond HIV risk. For those who never had to question their own sexual orientation or gender identity, it is certainly difficult to understand how the discovery of one's identity trait in childhood or early adolescence can be transformed under social pressure into a burden which often remains invisible but is associated with considerable emotional and medical morbidity. This article raises the following question: How many LGBT patients go unnoticed every week, leaving the physician's office without an opportunity to receive appropriate listening, support and care?

Medical tourism: game-changing innovation or passing fad?

Outbound medical tourism presents several concerns for U.S. providers: Potential lost revenue could reach almost $600 billion by 2017. Continuity of care can become an issue if complete medical records are not available to the patient's home physician and communications are not maintained between the domestic physician and the physician who rendered medical care abroad. Potential malpractice liability could place the U.S.-based provider at risk.

Sexual and gender minority health: what we know and what needs to be done.

We describe the emergence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health as a key area of study and practice for clinicians and public health professionals. We discuss the specific needs of LGBT populations on the basis of the most recent epidemiological and clinical investigations, methods for defining and measuring LGBT populations, and the barriers they face in obtaining appropriate care and services. We then discuss how clinicians and public health professionals can improve research methods, clinical outcomes, and service delivery for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

If They Don't Count Us, We Don't Count: Trump Administration Rolls Back Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection.

The Trump Administration recently removed sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) questions from a national aging survey, and decided not to add a sexual orientation category and a transgender identity field to a national disability survey as planned. These actions have raised concerns that the major expansion of SOGI data collection on surveys and in clinical settings, which has occurred in recent years, may be under threat. SOGI data collection is essential to understand lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health and the extent to which LGBT people access critical social services, including elder and disability services essential for living in community.

Advancing health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people through sexual health education and LGBT-affirming health care environments.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face pervasive health disparities and barriers to high-quality care. Adequate LGBT sexual health education for emerging health professionals is currently lacking. Clinical training programs and healthcare organisations are well poised to start addressing these disparities and affirming LGBT patients through curricula designed to cultivate core competencies in LBGT health as well as health care environments that welcome, include and protect LGBT patients, students and staff. Health education programs can emphasise mastery of basic LGBT concepts and terminology, as well as openness towards and acceptance of LGBT people. Core concepts, language and positive attitudes can be instilled alongside clinical skill in delivering inclusive sexual health care, through novel educational strategies and paradigms for clinical implementation. Caring for the health needs of LGBT patients also involves the creation of health care settings that affirm LGBT communities in a manner that is responsive to culturally specific needs, sensitivities and challenges that vary across the globe.

Transgender men and pregnancy.

Transgender people have experienced significant advances in societal acceptance despite experiencing continued stigma and discrimination. While it can still be difficult to access quality health care, and there is a great deal to be done to create affirming health care organizations, there is growing interest around the United States in advancing transgender health. The focus of this commentary is to provide guidance to clinicians caring for transgender men or other gender nonconforming people who are contemplating, carrying, or have completed a pregnancy. Terms transgender and gender nonconforming specifically refer to those whose gender identity (e.g., being a man) differs from their female sex assigned at birth. Many, if not most transgender men retain their female reproductive organs and retain the capacity to have children. Review of their experience demonstrates the need for preconception counseling that includes discussion of stopping testosterone while trying to conceive and during pregnancy, and anticipating increasing experiences of gender dysphoria during and after pregnancy. The clinical aspects of delivery itself fall within the realm of routine obstetrical care, although further research is needed into how mode and environment of delivery may affect gender dysphoria. Postpartum considerations include discussion of options for chest (breast) feeding, and how and when to reinitiate testosterone. A positive perinatal experience begins from the moment transgender men first present for care and depends on comprehensive affirmation of gender diversity.

Caring for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth in Inclusive and Affirmative Environments.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) youth may experience interpersonal and structural stigma within the health care environment. This article begins by reviewing special considerations for the care of LGBTQ youth, then turns to systems-level principles underlying inclusive and affirming care. It then examines specific strategies that individual providers can use to provide more patient-centered care, and concludes with a discussion of how clinics and health systems can tailor clinical services to the needs of LGBTQ youth.

Inclusion of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Stage 3 Meaningful Use Guidelines: A Huge Step Forward for LGBT Health.

Final rules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in October 2015 require electronic health record software certified for Meaningful Use to include sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) fields. This is a critical step toward making SO/GI data collection a standard practice in clinical settings. Sexual orientation identity-whether one identifies as gay, lesbian, or bisexual-correlates with behavioral health burden, and it is important to collect these data. Providers should also collect sex assigned at birth data as well as current gender identity data. Training of clinical staff in collection and use of SO/GI data, education of LGBT patients, and SO/GI nondiscrimination policies are critical for successful implementation.

When risk is low: primary care physicians' counseling about HIV prevention.

To explore the conceptualization of risk by primary care physicians about behaviors associated with a relatively low risk of HIV transmission, we performed open-ended telephone interviews with 59 primary care physicians throughout the United States. During the interviews, physicians were asked to respond to a series of clinical vignettes presenting situations where the risk of HIV transmission is relatively low or unknown. We performed a qualitative content analysis of physicians' responses to these clinical vignettes. We found that relatively few information-gathering statements were made in an effort to elicit the patient's perspective regarding risk, and that risk counseling by physicians often followed an 'all or nothing' heuristic that manifested itself as the advice to take maximum precautions under situations of any perceived risk, no matter how small. In addition, HIV testing was often incompletely explained. When combined with the all or nothing heuristic, this created advice that was potentially harmful by using testing as a means to achieve zero risk and forgo protective strategies in settings where patients may potentially be in the HIV negative 'window' phase of infection.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection in Clinical Settings and in Electronic Health Records: A Key to Ending LGBT Health Disparities.

The Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) 2011 report on the health of LGBT people pointed out that there are limited health data on these populations and that we need more research. It also described what we do know about LGBT health disparities, including lower rates of cervical cancer screening among lesbians, and mental health issues related to minority stress. Patient disclosure of LGBT identity enables provider-patient conversations about risk factors and can help us reduce and better understand disparities. It is essential to the success of Healthy People 2020's goal of eliminating LGBT health disparities. This is why the IOM's report recommended data collection in clinical settings and on electronic health records (EHRs). The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology rejected including sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) questions in meaningful use guidelines for EHRs in 2012 but are considering this issue again in 2013. There is overwhelming community support for the routine collection of SOGI data in clinical settings, as evidenced by comments jointly submitted by 145 leading LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations in January 2013. Gathering SOGI data in EHRs is supported by the 2011 IOM's report on LGBT health, Healthy People 2020, the Affordable Care Act, and the Joint Commission. Data collection has long been central to the quality assurance process. Preventive health care from providers knowledgeable of their patients' SOGI can lead to improved access, quality of care, and outcomes. Medical and nursing schools should expand their attention to LGBT health issues so that all clinicians can appropriately care for LGBT patients.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection Update: U.S. Government Takes Steps to Promote Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Collection Through Meaningful Use Guidelines.

Collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) in healthcare settings and in electronic health records (EHRs) is essential to understanding, addressing, and reducing LGBT health disparities. The federal government took two key steps in early 2014 in support of asking SO/GI questions in clinical settings as part of the meaningful use of EHRs. First, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology issued proposed 2015 Edition Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) Criteria, which suggest Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) code sets for SO/GI data collection in 2017. To facilitate the effective and accurate collection of SO/GI data, 153 LGBT and HIV groups recommended that the national coordinator request that the National Library of Medicine develop new codes to reflect SO/GI data. Second, the Health Information Technology Policy Committee submitted recommendations to the national coordinator, including the recommendation that "CEHRT [certified EHR technology] provides the functionality to capture … sexual orientation, gender identity." If the national coordinator accepts this recommendation, it will be put up for public comment in fall 2014 along with other Stage 3 proposed rules. Also, the 2017 Edition CEHRT Notice of Proposed Rule Making Criteria will be up for comment in fall 2014. Final Stage 3 Meaningful Use Guidelines will be published in summer 2015, and other key steps will take place into 2017. A critical parallel step is the training of clinical staff on LGBT health disparities and how to use SO/GI data and manage them in ways that meet the clinical needs of LGBT patients and protect confidentiality and privacy. We must also educate LGBT community members about why offering this information is important for their health and how collecting SO/GI data in EHRs is an important step to understanding LGBT health, reducing disparities, and improving outcomes.