Breaking Down Health Care Barriers for LGBT Community

By Stacy SimonLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month is about more than the colorful parades that take place across the country every June. It’s also about remembering the struggles of people who have fought for the equal rights of all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.Research suggests that barriers to health care are among the challenges faced by the LGBT community.Studies have found that lesbians and bisexual women have higher rates of breast cancer than heterosexual women. They also get less routine health care than other women, including breast and cervical cancer screening. Gay and bisexual men also face a number of barriers to getting the routine health care and cancer screening tests they need.Some of the reasons for this include:Low rates of health insurance: Many health insurance policies do not cover unmarried partners. Until recently, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage, it was harder for many LGBT people to get quality health care. Many states now also offer family health insurance plans that may help unmarried partners get coverage in other ways, and new options are also available under the Affordable Care Act for people without access to coverage through a domestic partner or employer.Fear of discrimination: Many people do not tell their doctors about their sexual orientation, because they don’t want discrimination to affect the quality of health care they receive. This can make...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Disparities Source Type: news