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.
When Bigger Isn’t Better: 4x Suicide Rate for LGB Youth
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LGB youth are almost four times more likely to attempt suicide, and to have a medically-serious suicide attempt (needing medical attention), than other teens, accordingly to the Williams Institute's new report. The paper also finds that White, Latino, Pacific Islander and Native American LGB youth had greater numbers of attempts than African American and Asian LGBT youth, girls also had higher rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts than boys.
Less Pricks
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A new study from researchers out of Ohio State University find that in a sample of lesbian and bisexual women less than half have ever had even one of the three-part HPV vaccine, and only a quarter of those who received the first shot made it to the full recommended doses. The authors urge that health care workers and women’s health organizations should suggest all women to get the HPV vaccine to prevent cervical, anal and other cancers.
New York Just Got a Little Queerer
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Governor Cuomo announced a new effort across NY state agencies to focus on LGBT health disparities, including adding gender identity as part of health data collection. Meanwhile, in NYC, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who gained attention for his community health outreach among gay men, was named as the next head of New York City’s Bureau of H.I.V./AIDS Prevention and Control.
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Trans Prison Appeals
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Reviewing complaint letters sent by transgender inmates from 24 state and federal prisons, health and safety issues were most highlighted by these inmates. These included access to trans health care, discrimination, harassment and threats of violence, physical and sexual abuse, suicidality, mental health problems, and fears of homelessness and poverty after release. The paper goes on to highlight the specific needs of trans populations in prisons and the need for trans health care to be viewed as important as every other form of medicine by prison medical staff.
Not Your Everyday Insurance Salesmen
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Out2Enroll, which worked to enroll LGBT people nationwide during Obamacare’s open enrollment period, released this report describing their outreach efforts, some common confusion of Obamacare (including recognition of marriage equality, trans health needs, discrimination due to LGBT or HIV status, or general information about plans), and explains that successful future open enrollment campaigns should include demographic information on sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBT-specific cultural competency for professional navigators and counselors as well as explicit outreach to LGBT community.
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