LGBT Health
Coming Out to Your Doctor
One of the keys to good healthcare is being open with your healthcare provider.
Sexual orientation and gender identity are fundamental aspects of our physical and emotional make-up.
Doctors, nurses, physician assistants, psychotherapists and other professionals treating you need to know about your sexual orientation and gender identity to give the best care possible.
Yet surveys consistently show that many gay, lesbian and bisexual patients aren’t open about their sexual orientation with healthcare providers, and transgender patients often face unique challenges finding competent care.
Here are some tips to make finding and being open with healthcare providers a little easier:
- Ask for referrals. Ask friends or local GLBT centers for the names of good GLBT-friendly healthcare providers. You can also check the listings at www.glma.org.
- Inquire by phone. When you call to make an appointment, ask if the practice has any GLBT patients. If you’re nervous about asking, remember you don’t have to give your name during that initial call.
- Bring a friend. If you’re uneasy about being open with your healthcare provider, consider asking a trusted friend to come with you.
- Bring it up when you feel most comfortable. Ask your doctor for a few minutes to chat while you’re still fully clothed – maybe even before you’re in the exam room.
- Know what to ask. Learn about the specific healthcare issues facing GLBT people.
Tips for Healthcare Providers
Maybe you’re a healthcare provider. Or maybe you’re a GLBT or straight person looking for information to help a provider’s practice become more GLBT-inclusive. Either way, here are some tips for providers on how to create a welcoming environment.
- Educate Yourself. Learn about the specific health issues facing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
- Be sensitive. Make sure you and your staff know which pronouns are appropriate to use when referring to a transgender patient or same-sex couple. Present visual cues. Displaying an HRC equal sign or other GLBT-friendly emblem will demonstrate that your office is a safe space for all.
- Revise client forms. Allow options for male/female/transgender and use neutral terms like “partner” or “spouse” rather than “single,” “married” or “divorced.” Use “parent 1” and “parent 2” to include same-sex couples raising children.
- Don’t assume. Avoid making assumptions about a patient based on their appearance. When taking a sexual history, ask, “Are your current or past sexual partners men, women or both?”
- Listen attentively. Be sensitive to the fact that this disclosure may be difficult for your patients.
For more specific information on transgender health issues, please visit the Gay & Lesbian Medical Associations Transgender Health Resources page.
For more specific information about transgender specific health resources, please see MontanaTDOR's State Wide Resource Guide, or by visiting www.montanatdor.org or calling (406) 848-1220.
What Can Lesbian and Bisexual Women Do to Protect Their Health?
Find a doctor who is sensitive to your needs to help you get regular check ups. The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association provides online health care referrals. You can access their database of members online or contact them at (415) 255-4547.
Get a Pap test. The Pap test finds changes in your cervix early, so you can be treated before the problem becomes serious. Begin getting Pap tests no later than age 21 or within three years of first having sexual intercourse. After two to three yearly Pap tests have been normal, talk to your doctor or nurse about getting a Pap test at least once every three years.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about an HPV test if your Pap test is abnormal. In combination with a Pap test, an HPV test helps prevent cervical cancer. It can detect the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an HPV DNA test for women for the following uses:
- as a follow-up to a Pap test with results that are abnormal
- in combination with a Pap test in women aged 30 and older
Practice safer sex. Get tested for STD’s like chlamydia or herpes before beginning a relationship. If you’re unsure about a partner’s status, practice methods to reduce the likelihood of sharing vaginal fluid or blood, including condoms on sex toys.
Have a balanced, healthy diet. Eat a variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. These foods give you energy, plus vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try foods like brown rice or whole-wheat bread. Bananas, strawberries, and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich, or in a salad. Be sure to pick a variety of colors and kinds of fruits and vegetables. You can vary the form — try fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. Read more about having a healthy diet at http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/diet.htm.
Drink moderately. If you drink alcohol, don’t have more than one drink per day. Too much alcohol raises blood pressure and can raise your risk for stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis, many cancers, and other problems.
Get moving. An active lifestyle can help every woman. Thirty minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week can greatly improve your health and decrease your risk of heart disease and some cancers!
Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, try to quit. Avoid second hand smoke as much as you can. Read more about quitting at http://www.womenshealth.gov/quit-smoking/.
Try different strategies to deal with your stress. Stress from discrimination is a tough challenge in the life of every lesbian. Relax using deep breathing, yoga, meditation, and massage therapy. You can also take a few minutes to sit and listen to soothing music, or read a book. Talk to your friends or get help from a professional if you need it.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about screening tests you may need. Regular preventive screenings are critical to staying healthy. All the tests that heterosexual women need, lesbian women need too. See these online charts for screening guidelines for different age groups: http://www.womenshealth.gov/prevention/.
Get help for domestic violence. Call the police or leave if you or your children are in danger! Call a crisis hotline or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE or TDD 800-787-3224, which is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in English, Spanish, and other languages. The Helpline can give you the phone numbers of local hotlines and other resources.
Build strong bones. Exercise. Get a bone density test. Learn more about that at: http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/osteoporosis.cfm. Make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin D each day. Reduce your chances of falling by making your home safer. For example, use a rubber bathmat in the shower or tub. Keep your floors free from clutter. Lastly, talk to your doctor or nurse about taking medicines to prevent or treat bone loss.
Know the Signs of a Heart Attack. Women are less likely than men to believe they are having a heart attack and more likely to delay in seeking treatment. For women, chest pain may not be the first sign your heart is in trouble. Before a heart attack, women have said that they have unusual tiredness, trouble sleeping, problems breathing, indigestion, and anxiety. These symptoms can happen a month or so before the heart attack. During a heart attack, women often have these symptoms:
- Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest.
- Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body, including the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Other symptoms, such as shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
Know the Signs of a Stroke. The signs of a stroke happen suddenly and are different from the signs of a heart attack. Signs you should look for are weakness or numbness on one side of your body, dizziness, loss of balance, confusion, trouble talking or understanding speech, headache, nausea, or trouble walking or seeing.
Remember: Even if you have a “mini-stroke,” you may have some of these signs.
Health & Health Care Resources
- Partnership Health Center
- Medline Plus
- Find Gay & Lesbian Health Services
- Web MD
- GLBT Friendly Health Care Providers
- Ridgeway Pharmacy
- Walgreens
HIV/AIDS Related Health & Health Care Resources
Testing / Screening
