Blog for Lesbian Health Day!
Just in case you didn't know...today is blog for Lesbian Health Day! Folks are blogging as a lead up to the National Lesbian Health Summit.
The summit will take place March 6-8, 2009 in San Francisco and its goal is "to rebuild a multi-issue, multicultural women's health movement focused on long-term strategic goals for lesbian/bi/queer women's health and wellness that is reflective of the diversity of our community."
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I am going to ask a question out of my own complete and acknowledged ignorance: are there any health issues or diseases that are specific to Lesbians?
If not, that of course doesn't mean there's no reason to organize such a conference. There are a billion other reasons (social, political, etc). But I don't know of any health problems that are specific to Lesbians and if there are any then I'd like to know ... so I can learn.
(I did go to the website but it is mostly practical info about the conference)
Doesn't anyone else find that calling it a Lesbian Health Summit automatically encourages bi-invisibility? If it really is for "lesbian/bi/queer" women, shouldn't the name of the event be more inclusive? I am all for events like this, but there is a long history in the lesbian community of discounting the experiences and voices of bisexual and queer women.
I think it is safe to say that ignorance is one of the key reasons why lesbian women have unique health and healthcare issues! Lesbians have routinely been overlooked in health research and policy. Sexual orientation has been identified as a key social determinant of health in the united states (see Healthy People 2010, the US 10 year public health plan).
Although lesbian STI rates are similar to the general population, they have higher rates of substance use and rates of mental health issues 2-3 times higher than the general population. Moreover, compared with the general population, lesbians are less likely to have a GP or partake in routine health screening, leading to higher incidences of untreated illness.
Why is this? There are lots of reasons, but a huge factor is previous negative experiences both in society and with the healthcare system which in turn influences health-seeking behavior, health-risk factors, and specific health issues.
Sorry if that sounded like a rant, but I have devoted the last three years of my life to research in this area! I would recommend the Lesbian Health Research Center website (they run the conference) for anyone interested in more information http://www.lesbianhealthinfo.org
I'm sorry I still don't see a reason for a Lesbian Health Summit. Are lesbians vaginas different from heterosexual women, are their reproductive organs different, I was under the impression it was not? Research has been done to say that black women's bodies/health are different from white women's bodies, which are different from Asian women's bodies, but when you dig deeper you realize it has noting to do with the actual ethnicity but factors such as the food we eat. So would a black woman who eats an Asian diet of seafood and steamed rice need to go to the Asian Health Summit, and if she is a lesbian would she need to create a Asian Lesbian Health Council, because lesbian Asians eat differently than straight Asian women?
ohmyheavens,
Just because it's geared towards lesbian health doesn't mean it's all about their vaginas and reproductive organs. Chickhabit explained perfectly well why there needs to be open discussion of the health/wellness needs of lesbians... just as their are specialized health needs of black women, asian women, etc. Also, where is this research that says the bodies of different ethnic/racial groups are different because of food consumed? Can you cite any literature, because this sounds new to me... And one last thing- why are you so defensive about creating a space for minority groups? Any discussion of women's health is a good one- even one as specific as a hypothetical Asian Lesbian Health Council.
"Can you cite any literature, because this sounds new to me... "
I do not have any literature on hand but are you seriously telling me you have you never heard of studies done on minorities that have been linked to the food they eat, such as hypertension in the black community being linked to foods with high fat content. There are other social factors such as being lower working class which leads to poor health. I can somewhat understand a health organization based on race by why on sexual orientation. Yes I'm sure being a lesbian may be more stressful which can affect your health but outside of the stress I don't see how a lesbian's health would be any different from another woman of her same race and social status.
Thanks imnotemily - you hit the nail on the head! Just as women's health is not only about reproductive organs, neither is lesbian health! I think the biomedical model that has dominated discussion of health has made extremely difficult for people outside the realm of public health to look past pure biology and understand the social causes of illness.
Thanks imnotemily - you hit the nail on the head! Just as women's health is not only about reproductive organs, neither is lesbian health! I think the biomedical model that has dominated discussion of health has made extremely difficult for people outside the realm of public health to look past pure biology and understand the social causes of illness.
Thanks imnotemily - you hit the nail on the head! Just as women's health is not only about reproductive organs, neither is lesbian health! I think the biomedical model that has dominated discussion of health has made extremely difficult for people outside the realm of public health to look past pure biology and understand the social causes of illness.
Here and now I have spent somehow these days, since 10 numbers (with variable success, in Sunday, for example, it was already good to me, but it has appeared, that a time respite) and has happened this collapse in many directions in health then when, first, I have decided to change the life, and secondly when I intended to enjoy loneliness within three weeks...