LGBT Wellness Roundup For The Week Ending June 12

Here's How Laws Affect The Health Of Queer People

Each week HuffPost Gay Voices, in a partnership with blogger Scout, LGBT HealthLink and researcher Susana Fajardo, brings you a round up of some of the biggest LGBT wellness stories from the past seven days. For more LGBT Wellness visit our page dedicated to the topic here.

1
How Laws Affect Our Health
TANG CHHIN SOTHY via Getty Images
A new study across 38 European countries found that gay men in countries with more discriminatory laws were more likely to skip HIV testing, have unsafe sex and have unmet health needs. Another study found that, globally, anti-LGBT sentiment was leading to violence. Don’t forget: laws affect our health.
2
National Pilot Program To Train Docs In T Health
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Let’s start looking to Kentucky for trans heath leadership. University of Louisville is the first pilot site for the Association of American Medical Colleges physician training in trans health. Now we can just hope the rest of the country catches up to Kentucky.
3
When The Therapist Is A Quack
Shutterstock / Andrey_Popov
We love a story from The Atlantic this week following the Southern Poverty Law Center’s lawsuit alleging gay “conversion therapy” is fraudulent. The descriptions of the therapy would be laughable if they weren’t so upsetting. Let’s keep shedding more light on “conversion therapy” until this dangerous practice is outlawed.
4
When The T Stands For Texas
Shutterstock / Henryk Sadura
A new review of nursing education programs in Texas just found that less than 50% of Texan nursing programs covered any trans health topics and only 14% included training in trans care. The study authors said LGBT-related care needs to be folded into existing nursing classes. Preach it!
5
Healthcare Providers Deal With Discrimination
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A study of lesbian and gay occupational therapists found they experienced three major professional problems: blatant or unintentional discrimination, widespread presumption they weren't queer and constant worry about the safety of coming out. This discrimination affected both patients and provider work evaluations. Moral of the story: Want to serve queers better? Start with your own employees.
6
Florida’s Tackling The Care Gap
Shutterstock / LesPalenik
Good news out of Florida! Our Fun and SAGE USA have partnered with the Department on Aging to retrain health care providers across south Florida after a survey found that nearly 75% of health care providers said they offered LGBT-friendly care, but only 33% of staff had actually received training. We love the initiative and love that they’re tackling such a sticky issue in such a straightforward way. Kudos! Everyone else: take notes, you’re up next.
7
White House Launches #HealthySelfies -- Let's #LGBT It Up!
Courtesy of Scout
Health doesn't stop when you #GetCovered, which is exactly the point of the White House and HHS's new #HealthySelfie campaign. Secretary Burwell has kitted up in cycling togs to urge us all to share our healthy choices. We say this is a great chance to show #LGBT health matters too, so please take and post your #HealthySelfie #LGBT pics today.

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