We Need Queer-Affirming Doctors
LGBTQ groups are pushing for greater accessibility to physicians who understand the community
Finding a doctor is never easy. The search can feel even more fraught for LGBTQ people: There’s no guarantee that a highly ranked physician on ZocDoc knows what HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is — or that they won’t misgender a transgender patient. It can compromise the quality of care that queer people receive, and even keep them from seeking medical care to begin with.
LGBTQ people have worked around this dilemma for decades by creating clinics staffed with providers who come from within the community. But that solution is usually most helpful for queer people living in densely populated urban areas with a sizable base.
As a bisexual woman, I know firsthand how uncomfortable it can be to open up to doctors about your sex life when you’re not sure how accepting they’ll be, or if they’ll actually know how to properly assess your risk for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) when you’re engaging in sex beyond the standard of heterosexual intercourse. In my case, I’ve omitted information about what I’ve actually been up to, providing my doctors with an incomplete picture of my sex life and hoping it doesn’t matter too much. But for those who face more pressing sexual health needs…
