Last April we were concerned to hear that the LGBT community was being ignored by medical research. In effect, a report discovered those in the medical field are largely uneducated on understanding sexual orientation development, gender identity, the impact of stigma, and discrimination on health.
Today we are happy to announce that for the first time EVER lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations will be INCLUDED in the National Health Interview Survey, which is a “principal source” used to gauge the health of Americans.
Such awesome news!
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the plan to include questions on sexual orientation on the survey by 2013 in hopes of better understanding gender identity. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement:
“Today we are taking critical steps toward ensuring the useful national data on minority groups, including, for the first time, LGBT populations. The data we will eventually collect in these efforts will serve as powerful tools and help us in our fight to end health disparities.”
Not only will this information provide health benefits, but the inclusion of the LGBT community in medical surveys breaks down a major barrier that has existed in the medical community for years.
[Image via AP Images.]
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