Reasonably Logical

I’m glad to see more of our history being preserved. I also liked the article. It not just discussed the archives themselves, but actually addressed some of the contents. It really brings it home to you.

Documenting the toll of AIDS
Archives in L.A. and San Francisco collect personal and official records of the costs and lessons of the epidemic.
By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 2, 2008

After reading the article below, I’m having trouble deciding if this is a good thing or not. I understand why Brazil did it, but what impact will this have on the willingness of pharmaceutical companies to develop medications? We’ll have to wait and see.

Brazil breaks patent on HIV drug -
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20070505/co_po/brazilbreakspatentonhivdrug

The CDC’s new policy requiring names for HIV tracking is an absolute disaster waiting to happen. I know that many people I have spoken with, and honestly myself, will be much more reluctant to get regular HIV tests under this new policy. This will particularly be true in the minority communities we’re already struggling to reach. What reason do we have to trust the government? None what so ever.

HIV patient names to be tracked by end of year in all 50 states
Funding now tied to names-based surveillance
CHICAGO (AP) | Apr 2, 11:34 AM

http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=12223

I’m collecting some information on health issues facing GLBT individuals for one of my (ex) professors. I figured I might as well share it here so that others can make use of the information.

My thanks to Jorja J for the help. Its really appreciated. If anyone else is aware of good resources, please send them to me.

Update (3-27-07): I was contacted by the head of the gay and lesbian caucus of the American Medical Student Association. He provided a number of additional resources. Excerpt from our conversation are quoted below.

There’s not nearly enough out there, but there is some. Here’s one article that’s good from 2000:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health: Findings and Concerns Authors: Dean L.; Meyer I.H.; Robinson K.; Sell R.L.; Sember R.; Silenzio V.M.B.; Bowen D.J.; Bradford J.; Rothblum E.; White J.; Dunn P.; Lawrence A.; Wolfe D.; Xavier J. Source: Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, Volume 4, Number 3, September 2000, pp. 102-151(50)

I ran across this manual which seems fairly solid. It addresses both patients and providers. The resource section is particularly extensive. (I’ve excerpted some of it below.)

Caring for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Patients
A University of Michigan Resource Guide
Published by BGLAM, University of Michigan Medical School

Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
www.glma.org

• Hepatitis immunization guidelines for physicians, community medical centers, and public health departments: www.glma.org/hepatitis
• Copies of “Anti-Gay Discrimination in Medicine: Results of a National Survey of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Physicians.” Benjamin Schatz Esq., and Katherine A. O’Hanlan M.D. 1994.
• Publications:
  • Creating a Safe Clinical Environment for Men Who Have Sex With Men
  • Clinician’s Guide to Incorporating Sexual Risk Assessment in Routine Visits
  • LGBT Health: Findings and Concerns (includes transgender health section with definitions)
  • Healthy People 2010 Companion Document
  • The “Scientific Workshop on Lesbian Health 2000: Steps for Implementing the IOM Report”

MedlinePlus: Gay and Lesbian Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gayandlesbianhealth.html
· Articles from national societies and government reports about research and treatment of LGBT health concerns

The GLBT Health Access Project
www.glbthealth.org
· Community Standards of Practice For Provision of Quality Health Care Services For Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual And Transgendered Clients

National Coalition for LGBT Health
www.lgbthealth.net
· Links to national advocacy and health organizations
· Many hosted articles and journal submissions on LGBT health

Seattle/King County GLBT Health Web Pages
www.metrokc.gov/health/glbt
· Advice for physicians on culturally sensitive care
· Short articles on health issues pertaining to LGBT patients

Gay Health.com
www.gayhealth.com
· “Ask the Doctor” column with sexual health information
· Providers Only area with articles, a message board and providers’ database

International Journal of Transgenderism
www.symposion.com/ijt/
· Quarterly journal published 1997-present, fulltext articles available online

CDC National Prevention Information Network
www.cdcnpin.org
· Reference and referral service for information on HIV/AIDS, STIs, and TB
· Helpline: 800-458-5231 (also Spanish)

A Provider’s Handbook on Culturally Competent Care: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Population Kaiser Permanante National Diversity Council and the Kaiser Permanente National Diversity Department. 2000.

Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and Directions for the Future. Andrea L. Solarz, Ed. Institute of Medicine. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 1999.
· To order: www.nap.edu, or call 1-800-624-6242.

The Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders, Sixth Version. Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association. Dusseldorf: Symposion Publishing, 2001
www.hbigda.org/soc.html

Report on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Domestic Violence (October 1998). Produced by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). Available at www.lambda.org/dv97.htm

A Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. 2001. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 01-3498.
www.samhsa.gov

Here are some other good sources to search, too:
–Medline, using keywords “gay” “lesbian”
–Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association
–http://www.gaydata.org/

UPDATE (3-27-07) ———————

Here was Scott’s first message to me:

Philip,

Ran across your blog when I was trying to find citation info for the Kaiser handbook you have listed among your GLBT health resources. Wanted to introduce myself as the newly elected Health and Education Coordinator for the LGBT Health Action Committee of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA). I’m compiling a list of resources for our upcoming LGBT Health Leadership Summit for other medical students, and would be happy to send you the list when it’s complete (next couple of days-ish).

In the meantime, you might want to check out www.amsa.org/lgbt. Feel free to drop me a line with any questions. Best,

Scott Nass, MPA MS2
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
nass@ucla.edu

Here is his response to my request to share his first message:

Philip,
Please feel free to share. You made a great point in your post: there is limited info out there, and what is out there is difficult to find at times. I certainly don’t learn anything about LGBT health in medical school. I’ve learned most of what I know through AMSA and also GLMA. If your faculty mentor ever wants to learn firsthand about LGBT health, they should go to a GLMA conference. The next one is in Puerto Rico this fall. *fingers crossed I get funding and time off to go*

Here’s my list. I called it a “working bibliography” because it is not a recommended list, per se. We actually plan to develop a model curriculum during this year that would serve as an official, recommendation from AMSA. Our first step is to finish a survey and get IRB approval so we can gauge the gaps that exist and how severe.

Let me know if you have any questions,
Scott

The resource list he provided can be found here:
http://reames.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/lgbt-health-resources-pub-032707.doc