Questions about Lesbian Health Issues
Are there differences between lesbian health issues and women's health issues in general?
Yes. Lesbians face many of the same barriers and discriminatory practices experienced by heterosexual women dealing with the medical and scientific communities. However, lesbian and bisexual women often encounter a medical and scientific establishment that dismisses the validity of their health concerns and ignores their existence in research, treatment and education.
Are lesbians at greater risk than heterosexual women?
To date, medical and psychological research on women has failed to document what may be distinct and different health needs of lesbians. Certain behaviors may put lesbians at greater risk for diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Lesbians face all kinds of insensitivity and homophobia across the health care system — in educational materials, clinic intake forms and hospital visitation policies — as well as in treatment. As a result, lesbians feel less welcome and are less likely to access the health care system less. Other key factors include lesbians' lack of health insurance — due to many employers' resistance to providing domestic partnership benefits — and the growth of managed care systems that may limit lesbians' access to lesbian-friendly providers.
Aren't lesbians immune to sexually transmitted diseases?
No, lesbians and heterosexual women have the same risks for hepatitis and genital herpes. Although lesbians are less likely than heterosexual women to contract HIV/AIDS, women who have sex with other women can contract HIV.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids — blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. Activities that cause bodily fluids to be exchanged — such as vaginal, anal and oral sex, and sharing injection drug needles — all carry a risk for HIV transmission.
What is the Human Rights Campaign doing about lesbian health issues?
HRC facilitates information exchange and coordinates the activities of individuals and organizations advocating for the advancement of lesbian health.
HRC works alongside other national healthcare groups, including the Lesbian Health Advocacy Network and the Campaign for Women's Health to ensure that healthcare reform initiatives address the health needs of lesbians. This is done by the education of national decision makers in the research and healthcare fields of the need to develop and implement government-funded programs. Programs that provide further research on lesbian-specific health issues, education to increase the lesbian health knowledge base of health care providers, the increased use of the health care system by lesbians, and the improvement of health outcomes in the lesbian population.