lack of health insurance hurts lesbians

To: National Desk, Health Reporter



Contact: Nancy Wong of Harris Interactive, 585-214-7316; Colleen Dermody, 202-887-0500 ext. 18, cdermody@witeckcombs.com or Shameka Lloyd, 202-887-0500 ext. 25, slloyd@witeckcombs.com



ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- According to a new national online survey, health care costs (50 percent) and the lack of adequate health insurance (43 percent) are cited as the most common reasons why lesbians have delayed obtaining health care. When asked to identify what current health issue deserves the most attention from health care professionals and public policy makers from among a list of 14 issues, two in five (41 percent) lesbians said that health insurance coverage, followed by nutrition/exercise (14 percent) and obesity (12 percent) deserve the most attention.



These are some of the results of a nationwide online survey of 2,209 U.S. adults, of whom 119 have self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual (GLB). In addition, 341 self-identified U.S. lesbian adults were surveyed. The survey was conducted online between January 11 and 16, 2005 by Harris Interactive(r) in conjunction with the Mautner Project, The National Lesbian Health Organization.



Overall, three quarters (75 percent) of lesbians (compared to 54 percent of heterosexuals) have delayed obtaining health care for at least one reason. Younger lesbians (aged 18-35) are more likely than older lesbians (aged 50 and over) to have delayed obtaining health care.



"Barriers to accessing health care, whether they are financial, institutional or cultural, can be devastating for lesbians with chronic or life threatening illnesses," said Kathleen DeBold, executive director of the Mautner Project. "Stigma and the potential for discrimination has, for years, been a major obstacle for lesbians and gays seeking appropriate health care. This survey is another in a line of important wake-up calls for the medical establishment."



Additional findings from the survey include:



-- All adults (35 percent) think that health insurance coverage deserves the most attention from health care professionals and public policy makers, followed by cancer (16 percent) and obesity and HIV/AIDS (9 percent each).



While GLB respondents (18 percent overall) and lesbians (9 percent) think that HIV/AIDS deserves the most attention, fitness is also high on their list (13 percent and 14 percent respectively).



-- Among lesbians, 16 percent report that they have delayed obtaining health care because they were concerned they would be discriminated against.



-- Lesbians are more likely than heterosexuals to say that bad experiences with health care providers in the past has caused them to delay obtaining health care (27 percent vs. 12 percent).



-- Three quarters of lesbians (74 percent) who have experienced discrimination at a doctor's office believe that they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. One in five (19 percent) feels they were discriminated against because of their physical or mental disability and five percent said it was because of their gender identity or expression.



-- Heterosexuals are more likely than lesbians to believe that they were discriminated against because of their income level (35 percent vs. 20 percent).



-- The top two health risks lesbians are worried about for themselves are being overweight (17 percent) and being out of shape/not physically fit (16 percent)



"Getting lesbians to the doctor would be a huge first step in preventing chronic illness among the nation's lesbian population; but to accomplish that, there will have to be a significant change in the way that doctors and their staffs and their lesbian clients communicate," said Amari Sokoya Pearson-Fields, deputy director of the Mautner Project. "If doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are truly committed to providing the best care to all their patients and are sensitive to the unique needs of their lesbian patients, then this can improve."