Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health is emerging as a national health concern because of a growing body of evidence of health disparities experienced by LGBT people. Some agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are broadening their focus on populations who experience health disparities to include those defined by sexual orientation and gender identity. For the first time, the ten-year federal plan for improving the nationís health, called Healthy People 2010 (HP2010), includes sexual orientation in 29 health objectives. Concerned with the lack of knowledge about LGBT health among the general population of health care planners and providers, HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) awarded the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) a contract to gather experts from across the country to write a HP 2010 companion document on LGBT health.

The Healthy People 2010 Companion Document for LGBT Health covers a range of health issues, including: Access to Quality Health Care, Cancer, Mental Health, Tobacco and Substance Use, Public Health Infrastructure, and Violence Prevention. The Companion Document notes research showing that:

• LGBT youth are much more likely to be victimized in school and to attempt suicide than heterosexual youth.

• LGBT people are often reluctant to seek care or to "come out" to health providers, leading to under-screening and intervention likely to result in poor health.

• Gay men and lesbian women are at increased risk for certain cancers (lung, cervical, breast, and anal cancer), due to a higher prevalence of smoking and inadequate risk assessment and screening by providers.

• Elders in same-sex relationships are at high risk of economic devastation due to the fact that legal protections are not afforded to same-sex couples (e.g. Medicaid spend-down protections).

• HIV/AIDS continues to devastate LGBT populations, including men who have sex with men, particularly men of color, transgender women (male to female), and LGBT injection drug users.

In addition, the Companion Document makes specific health-related and broader policy recommendations for Congress and federal agencies that will reduce LGBT health disparities, such as:

• Prohibit discrimination against LGBT persons by organizations that receive federal funding.

• Designate LGBT populations as a "special population" of concern by federal health agencies.

• Increase the number of national surveys which ask questions about LGBT status to enable monitoring of the health of all Americans.

• Increase the number of LGBT people with health insurance.

• Increase the number of individuals treated for non-life threatening sexually transmitted diseases to decrease the likelihood of HIV transmission.

• Target LGBT populations in the health promotion campaigns of national health agencies, such as smoking prevention and cessation activities.

• Incorporate LGBT cultural competence into the training of all health professionals, and particularly managed care, Medicaid, Medicare, and State Children's Health Insurance Program providers.

• Develop demonstration projects, which include community coalitions, to address the substance abuse prevention and treatment needs of LGBT communities.

• Support research to identify the patterns of hate crimes, and publish criminal justice findings by state and local jurisdictions.

Click here for the full Healthy People 2010 Companion Document for LGBT Health.

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