Each week HuffPost Gay Voices, in a partnership with bloggers Liz Margolies and Scout, 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.
1
Being out increases youth self esteem & lowers depression but increases victimization
Shutterstock / Khamidulin Sergey
A new study of almost 8,000 LGBT secondary school students uses modeling to show that outness was related to higher self-esteem and lower depression, but it also increases risk of victimization -- especially in rural areas.
2
Report calls for widespread LGBT health data collection
Peter Macdiarmid via Getty Images
A new report by The Fenway Institute presents highlights of how collecting LGBT health data can advance health equity. For example, when Arizona found 31% of lesbians smoke, about twice the rate of others, Tobacco Free Arizona started to target LGBT people in prevention and cessation interventions. The report calls for additional states to collect these data and recommends model questions.
3
Researchers find differences in cancer rates by sexual orientation density in California counties
Getty Images
Without sexual or gender minority status being reported on any cancer registries we’re usually unable to find differences in cancer rates by LGBT status. A group of researchers found an innovative way to explore these differences. They looked at whether counties with more LGB (T data weren’t available) people had different cancer rates, and they did. This is the first glimmer of light being cast on evidence of our cancer disparities.
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4
Obamacare hits enrollment goal and Medicare now recognizing same-sex marriage.
JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images
March 31st marked the end of the first open enrollment period of the federal health insurance exchange, where an estimated 7.1 million people were enrolled. However, due to a lack of data collection, the number of LGBT people enrolled is yet unknown. In other federal news, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Social Security Administration is now ready to process Medicare enrollments for eligible same-sex spouses.
5
Lawsuit says government must pay for youth’s gender confirmation surgery
Marilyn Nieves via Getty Images
This week, the Administration of Children’s Services was ordered by a New York City judge to cover the cost of gender confirmation surgery for a 20-year-old in foster care.
6
Two advances in transgender health and safety in the Mid-Atlantic Region
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley has promised to sign a Transgender Nondiscrimination bill into law. The bill, which was passed by the House of Delegates, extends employment, housing and public accommodation protections to transgender people. Meanwhile, in DC the Safe Bathrooms DC campaign, which launched April 3rd, works to ensure that small businesses are aware of and abide by the gender neutral single-stall public restroom law.
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7
New studies on bisexual stigma
Onur DAngel via Getty Images
Two new studies explore causes for the higher rates of mental health problems in bisexual women, including how stigma is often played out in “micro-aggressions” like hostility, dating exclusion, and pressure to change.