US Panel Suggests Research into Causes and Prevalence of Health Issues Facing Gays

In a report released Thursday, the Institute of Medicine recommends the federal government methodically evaluate demographic and health data for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens. The IOM report, requested by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), proposes a research agenda that would include studying the prevalence and causes of obesity, depression, cancer, heart disease and other conditions among LGBT.

Federal officials had asked IOM to identify gaps in knowledge about the health of LGBT people. This task, however, proved impossible due to the lack of data.

"The available evidence on the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people is sparse," said Dr. Robert O. Graham, chair of the IOM panel that conducted the consensus report.

LGBT, who often experience "barriers to equitable health care," tend to delay health care and receive inferior care, IOM reported. "Fearing discrimination and prejudice, many [LGBT] refrain from disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity to researchers and health care providers," the report says.

"Medical schools teach very little about sexuality in general and little or nothing about the unique aspects of [LGBT] health," says the report. NIH should encourage studies to include LGBT persons just as they do women, blacks and other distinct populations.

"On average, men tend to show greater interest in sex and express a desire to engage in sex more frequently than women. These patterns appear to occur in both heterosexual and homosexual populations," the panel observed. Though many LGBT youths are well-adjusted, some research suggests they may be at increased risk of depression and suicide.

Lesbians and bisexual women may be at higher risk for breast cancer, obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption than heterosexual women, the report says.

For more information, visit: http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/The-Health-of-Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-and-Transgender-People.aspx.

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