Each week HuffPost Queer Voices, in a partnership with blogger Scout, LGBT HealthLink and researcher Susana Fajardo, brings you a round up of some of the biggest LGBT wellness stories from the past seven days. For more LGBT Wellness, visit our page dedicated to the topic here.
Research on Same-Sex Parenting Needs to Go Deeper
After yet another study demonstrated no difference in child outcomes for same-sex parenting (though they did note same-sex parents had higher stress levels), a commentator for the same journal pointed out this was the 74 study to demonstrate this point and it’s time to move past research that reacts to anti-LGBT challenges and start building research that serves the needs of our families instead.
Delaware Bans Limiting Transgender Healthcare
Go Delaware! They have just become the 15 state to ban health insurers from denying, canceling, or raising rates based on a person’s gender identity. This is a nice counterpoint to the 44 pieces of anti-trans legislation introduced so far in the 2016 legislative session.
Tobacco Companies Used AIDS Response to Market Cigs to LGBT People
A new paper chronicles the history of tobacco companies giving money to fight AIDS. Just one of the many bizarre stories: tobacco companies using charity donations and partnerships with HIV/AIDS organizations to improve their public image and market access to LGBT communities.
How Does Race Affect Our Smoking Patterns?
New research showed differences between black and white sexual and gender minority smoking habits. Black participants were more likely to have never smoked versus white participants. Interestingly, black smokers were much more likely to be trying to quit than white smokers, but they were much less likely to have successfully quit (5.2% B v. 15.1% W). Looks like more resources are needed for black sexual and gender minority cessation.
Would You Prefer Unsafe Sex Today or $35 Tomorrow?
Researchers asked respondents a series of questions all about whether they’d prefer some money now or more money later and found the ones who most frequently wanted money now were more likely to have had unsafe sex recently. Not sure how to work these questions into a date but they could provide a fast way for researchers to identify high risk HIV- people.