care of the lesbian or gay patient
DESCRIPTION
Overview of the evidence and guidelines regarding care of the lesbian or gay patient. Geared towards medical residents.TRANSCRIPT
Providing Care for the Lesbian or Gay Patient
KP Edmonds, MDSJHMC Family Medicine
Objectives
• Describe two impacts of the gay or lesbian experience on health.
• Explain two ways in which a welcoming environment can be created in the office.
• Demonstrate the taking of a thorough sexual history.
• Describe two unique concerns in the healthcare of the gay population.
• Describe the cervical cancer screening schedule for a lesbian woman.
• List three risk factors for suicidality in the gay and lesbian population.
Starting Point
• A lesbian or gay person “is one with an orientation toward people of the same gender in sexual behavior, affection, or attraction, and/or [those who] self-identify as gay/lesbian.”
• 1.4-4.3% of US women• 2.8-9.1% of US men
Caveat
“LGBT persons vary in sociodemographic characteristics such as cultural, ethnic,
or racial identity; age; education; income; and place of residence. They are also diverse in the degree to which their LGBT identities are central to their self-definition, their level of affiliation with
other LGBT people, and their rejection or acceptance of societal stereotypes and
prejudice.”Journal of Public Health. 2001.
Impacts on Health
• Direct stigmatization– Exposure to violence– Stress– Poor access to care
• Failure to address specific population needs– STI risk– Fertility concerns
• (Indirect stigmatization)
Impacts on Health
Columbia White Paper
Why Should We Ask?
“Disclosure of sexual orientation in the health care setting is crucial to the
provision of appropriate, sensitive, and individualized care. Failure to establish rapport and communication between physicians and patients is associated with decreased levels of adherence to physician advice and treatment plans, and decreased rates of satisfaction.”
GLMA Guidelines
Patient Mindset“I suppose I see a hospital as a sort of heterosexual kind of
place.”
“You fear, you’re frightened of the
judgmental attitude of the doctor. You’re frightened that he
might not have your best interest at heart.
Better to be silent about it all, and not
create waves.”Filiault, et al. 2008.
Creating a Welcoming Environment
• Power of language– Staff– Providers– Forms
• Images• Statement of non-
discrimination
Intake Forms
• “Mr./Miss/Ms./Mrs.”• “Male/Female,”
“Other”• “Marital Status”– “Married/Single”
• “Mother/Father”
Intake Forms (con’t)• Legal name• Name I prefer to be called
(if different)• Preferred pronoun?
She He
• Gender: Check as many as are appropriate Female Male Transgender Female to Male Male to Female Other (leave space for patient to
fill in)GLMA Guidelines
Intake Forms (con’t)• Current relationship
status Single Married Domestic Partnership/Civil
Union Partnered Involved with multiple partners Separated from spouse/partner Divorced/permanently
separated from spouse/partner Other (leave space for patient to
fill in)
• Living situation Live alone Live with spouse or partner Live with roommate(s) Live with parents or other family
members Other (leave space for patient to
fill in)GLMA Guidelines
Clinic Design
• Art and Posters– Inclusive images– GLBT Organizations
• Brochures– Targeted to
populations
• Magazines• Unisex bathrooms• Nondiscrimination
statement
Nondiscrimination Statement
“This office appreciates the diversity of human beings and does not
discriminate based on race, age, religion,
ability, marital status, sexual orientation, sex,
or gender identity." AMA Policy D-65.996 modified and reaffirmed in BOT Report 11, A-07
Nondiscrimination Statement
“The AAFP opposes all discrimination in any
form, including but not limited to, that on the
basis of actual or perceived race, color,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identity, ethnic affiliation, health, age, disability, economic status, body
habitus or national origin.”AAFP. Reaffirmend 2005.
The Sexual History
Men Who Have Sex With Men
• CDC Recommendations:– Annual STI Screening
• Syphilis• GC/C• HIV
– Hepatitis A & B Immunization
MSM Care (Con’t)• The same as for any male
including screening for:– Sexual risk– Depression/anxiety– Diet/exercise– Heart health– Intimate partner violence– Cancer– Substance use
• Plus– Hx of Hepatitis Vaccination– Anal cancer risk (HPV-
associated)
Women Who Have Sex With Women
Your patient self-identifies as a lesbian, does she need a pap smear? How often?
WSW Care (con’t)
• Risk factors for disease– Higher rate of obesity– Higher rate of smoking
and substance use– Lower rates of
pregnancy higher lifetime exposure to estrogen
WSW Care (con’t)
• The same as for any woman including screening for:– Sexual risk– Depression/anxiety– Diet/exercise– Heart health– Intimate partner
violence– Cancer– Substance use
WSW Care (con’t)
• Safer sex practices– Use of dental dams or other oral-genital
barrier– Latex/non-latex gloves– Care of sexual adjuncts• Not sharing• Using male condoms (and changing condom
in between contact)• Washing frequently
Mental Health Concerns
Mental Health: Rates
• MSM at higher risk for:– Affective disorders– Panic Attacks– Suicide
• WSW at higher risk for:– Alcohol dependency– Drug dependency
National Household Survey of Drug Abuse
Mental Health: Suicidality
• Risk factors– GLBT Orientation– Victimization– Hopelessness– Depression– Alcohol Use– Close contact with
suicide
Mental Health: Intimate Partner Violence
• 15% of MSM (compared to 7.7%)
• 11% of WSW (compared to 30.5%)
• You have to ask!National Institute of Justice
Mental Health: Body Image
• Traditionally:– Lesbian women
thought to be protected from eating disorders or disturbed body image
– Gay men thought to be more impacted by the traditionally-female Western body image problems
Adolescent Health: Starting Early
“Are you attracted to boys, girls or both.”
In Summary• The process of learning about our
patients starts long before we see them.
• We can all probably do better with our sexual history taking.
• Like in all patients, the health care that we provide to our gay and lesbian patients should be tailored based upon who they are and what they do.
• Start asking the questions early.
ReferencesAaron, D. J., N. Markovic, M. E. Danielson, J. A. Honnold, J. E. Janosky, and N. J. Schmidt. "Behavioral Risk Factors for
Disease and Preventive Health Practices Among Lesbians." American Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 972-75. Print.
Blake, S. M., R. Ledsky, T. Lehman, C. Goodenow, R. Sawyer, and T. Hack. "Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and LGBT health experts. Healthy People 2010 Companion Document for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health. San Francisco, CA: Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, 2001." American Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 940-46. Print.
Cochran SD, Mays VM. Relationship between Psychiatric Syndromes and Behaviorally Defined Sexual Orientation in a Sample of the US Population. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2000;151(5):516-523.
Dean et al. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health. White Paper. Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Health. Columbia University. 2001
Feldman, M. B., and I. H. Meyer. "Eating Disorders in Diverse Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations." International Journal of Eating Disorders 40.3 (2007): 218-26. Print.
Filiault, S. M., M. J.N Drummond, and J. ASmith. "Gay men and prostate cancer: voicing the concerns of a hidden population." Journal of Men's Health 5.4 (2008): 327-32. Print.
Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and LGBT health experts. Healthy People 2010 Companion Document for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Health. San Francisco, CA: Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, 2001.
Guidelines for Care of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Patients. San Francisco: Gay & Lebsian Medical Association, 2004. Print.
ReferencesKatz: Comprehensive Gynecology. Chapter 9 – Emotional Aspects of Gynecology: Sexual Dysfunction, Eating Disorders,
Substance Abuse, Depression, Grief, Loss. Katz, VL, Lentz, GM, Lobo, RA, Gershensen, DM. Ed 5. 2007. Accessed via MDConsult on 08/22/09.
Lombardi, E. "Enhancing Transgender Health Care." American Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 869-72. Print.
Makadon, H. J. "American Journal of Public health." New England Journal of Medicine 354.9 (2006): 895-97. Print.
Marrazzo, J. M., and A. Bingham. "Sexual Practices, Risk Perception and Knowledge Of Sexually Transmitted Disease Risk Among Lesbian and Bisexual Women." Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health 37.1 (2005): 6-12. Print.
Marrazzo, J. M., L. A. Koutsky, N. B. Kiviat, J. M. Kuypers, and K. Stine. "Papanicolaou Test Screening and Prevalence of Genital Human Papillomavirus Among Women Who Have Sex With Women." American Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 947-52. Print.
Meyer, I. H. "Why Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Public Health?" American Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 856-59. Print.
Mravcak, S. A. "Enhancing Transgender Health Care." American Family Physician 74.2 (2006): 279-86. Print. Plumb, M. "Undercounts and Overstatements: Will the IOM Report on Lesbian Health Improve Research?" American
Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 873-75. Print.
Russell, S. T., B. T. Franz, and A. K. Driscoll. "Same-Sex Romantic Attraction and Experiences of Violence in Adolescence." American Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 903-06. Print.
Sell, R. L., and J. B. Becker. "Sexual Orientation Data Collection and Progress Toward Healthy People 2010." American Journal of Public health 91.6 (2001): 876-82. Print.
Questions?