Analyzing Annals: LGBT Health Disparities

This research study, Sexual Orientation Identity Disparities in Awareness and Initiation of the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Among U.S. Women and Girls. A National Survey, examined the association between sexual orientation identity and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among U.S. women and girls, and found that adolescent and young adult lesbians may be less likely to initiate HPV vaccination than their heterosexual counterparts. The position paper, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Disparities: Executive Summary of a Policy Position Paper From the American College of Physicians, offers recommendations on how to reduce health disparities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the health care system.

Use these papers to:

Review the risk factors for HPV transmission and indications for the HPV vaccine.
Why might there be disparities in the utilization of HPV vaccination? In what other areas are there disparities in health care according to sexual orientation identity? These are reviewed in the ACP Position paper.
Review the positions of the ACP. Do you agree with them?
Do you believe personal religious or cultural beliefs have a place in the practice of medicine? Where might a physician's personal beliefs appropriately inform his or her practice of medicine, and where might it be wrong? What if those beliefs hold that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is “wrong”? How would you respond to a colleague who objected to participating in care that his or her religious beliefs deem to be “wrong”?