Center Celebrates 10th Annual National LGBT Health Awareness Week (March 26-30)
The Center has spent nearly three decades looking out for the health and well being of LGBT people. This week we, and dozens of organizations across the nation, celebrate the 10th Annual National LGBT Health Awareness Week.
Spearheaded by the National Coalition for LGBT Health, the theme of the 2012 campaign is “Come Out for Health,” and described as a call to action for community members, advocates, service providers, and governmental officials to recognize health and wellness as an essential part of the social justice movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals, families and the wider community.
The Coalition is committed to improving the health and well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals through federal advocacy that is focused on research, policy, education, and training. The LGBT community includes individuals of every sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and age; regardless of disability, income, education, and geography. Members are dedicated to effecting change by uniting this rich diversity at the national level.
Here at the Center the Community Services Department is incorporating LGBT health awareness themes into a number of our groups in the wellness, recovery, youth, and family program areas. Members of our staff also testified in favor of strong LGBT cultural competency training in New York City public hospitals, at a recent joint NYC City Council hearing by the Committee on Civil Rights and Committee on Health.
According to the National Coalition for LGBT Health:
LGBT people face numerous barriers in access to health care services. These barriers include lower rates of access to health insurance and fear of discrimination by providers who lack an understanding of LGBT health concerns.
According to a recent national survey conducted by Harris Interactive®, nearly one in four gay and lesbian adults lack health insurance and rates of uninsurance are even higher for bisexual and transgender people. These lower rates of health insurance coverage result from factors that affect many LGBT people and include poverty, unemployment, and job discrimination. Moreover, most employers do not extend health insurance benefits to the family members of LGBT employees, and practices that limit or deny access to coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions also contribute to low rates of insurance.
Beyond the difficulty of accessing coverage, barriers persist in many health care settings. Health care providers may be insensitive to LGBT health concerns and are often not trained to communicate with LGBT patients. Fear of harassment or concerns about privacy also often lead LGBT people to withhold personal information from their providers. This can include vital information such as sexual orientation, gender identity, prescription medication use, sexual behavior, substance use, and relationship concerns such as domestic violence.
These disparities in access result in worse health for the LGBT community in comparison to the general population. LGBT people often experience increased health risks, such as substance use and violence, as well as higher rates of conditions such as cancer, mental health concerns, and sexually transmitted infections. Without timely access to vital health care, these disparities can be deadly.
What can you do?
*Share your stories with providers and policy makers about the importance of health and access to health care for the LGBT community.
*Share the Gay & Lesbian Medical Association guidelines with your health care providers and help them create a safe and welcoming environment for the LGBT community.
*Community health centers & other health facilities can participate in HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index.
*Urge providers to become familiar with guidelines for LGBT cultural competence.
Learn more:
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association: www.glma.org
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers: www.lgbtcenters.org
Look for more blogs about LGBT Health Awareness Week throughout the next several days.