University of Puerto Rico undergraduate students discuss LGBTT health issues / Estudiantes de la Universidad de Puerto Rico discuten asuntos de salud en las comunidades LGBTT

By Juan Carlos Vega, blogging for the Citizens’ Alliance Pro LGBTTA Health of Puerto Rico and the CDC-funded LGBT and Latino National Tobacco Control Networks

Estudiantes de bachillerato del curso de BIOL 4990Introducción a la Investigación planificaron, presentaron e invitaron a sus compañeros y amistades a participar de su proyecto final de curso titulado Foro Juvenil de Salud Lesbiana, Gay, Bisexual, Transgénero y Transexual (LGBTT). Con una asistencia de sobre 125 personas, en su mayoría estudiantes, el Auditorio de la Escuela de Ciencia Naturales de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (UPR) en Río Piedras se convirtió en un espacio seguro y saludable para discutir las realidades, necesidades y vicisitudes que viven las comunidades LGBTT para recibir servicios de salud. Luego de escuchar a cinco estudiantes del curso presentar estadísticas sobre la salud de las ­­comunidades LGBTT, discutir la importancia de las prácticas basadas en evidencia científica, mostrar la falta de servicios de salud que reciben las comunidades trans y hablar de los determinantes sociales y ambientales que afectan el acceso a servicios, el auditorio se convirtió en un foro donde jóvenes universitarios, gay y straight, preguntaban e indagaban sobre las realidades, alternativas y prioridades para resolver esta inequidad en salud.  Miembros de la Alianza Ciudadana en Pro de la Salud Lesbiana, Gay, Bisexual, Transgénero, Transsexual y Aliados (ACPS-LGBTTA), representando las diversidades en el acrónimo LGBTTA, se sentaron en panel para contestar interrogantes de la audiencia sobre la importancia del apoyo legal para promover justicia, la necesidad de servicios y grupos de apoyo específicos para comunidades LGBTT, la inclusión de las perspectivas de identidad de genero y orientación sexual en políticas públicas, al igual que el significado de intersexualidad. Fascinantes las preguntas. Y hasta Ricky Martin cogió su mención!

Desde la perspectiva del panel pude captar la atención de los estudiantes durante la discusión de asuntos de salud LGBTT. / From the panels’ perspective I was able to capture students attention as one of the Alliance members in the panel discussed LGBTT health issues.

Agradecemos a la Dra. Elba Díaz del Recinto de Ciencias Medicas-UPR por su visión de equidad en salud para todos los puertorriqueños y puertorriqueñas, a los estudiantes presentes, y a los cinco presentadores del día, María Marte Santos, Jossec Ramos Medina, Nora Brauchitsch, Juan Dávila, Rivera y Fransheska Martínez, a quienes felicitamos e invitamos a la próxima Cumbre Puertorriqueña Pro Salud LGBTTA a presentar este mismo tema en Abril del 2014.

Estudiantes presentaron razones por las que el uso de tabaco en las comunidades LGBTT es mas alto que en las comunidades heterosexuales. / Students presented reasons why LGBTT folks smoke more than their heterosexual counterparts.

Durante la actividad se distribuyeron materiales educativos relacionados a salud LGBTT publicados por las Redes Nacionales para el Control y Prevención de Tabaco, la ACPS-LGBTTA y Lambda Legal.  Esta actividad se llevó a cabo como parte de la IV Jornada Educativa Contra la Homofobia de la organización Puerto Rico para Todos y fue auspiciada por:

                           

LESBIANS AND BISEXUAL WOMEN LAG BEHIND IN RECEIVING ADEQUATE CERVICAL CANCER SCREENINGS

 

 

Sarah Peitzmeier, MSPH

Clinical data specialist 

Fenway Institute

 

 

LESBIANS AND BISEXUAL WOMEN LAG BEHIND HETEROSEXUAL WOMEN IN RECEIVING ADEQUATE CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING, DESPITE BEING EQUALLY AT RISK FOR CERVICAL CANCER 

Lesbians and bisexual women are as likely as heterosexual women to develop cervical cancer, but are up to 10 times less likely to be regularly screened for it, putting them at greater risk of the potentially deadly disease, according to a policy brief released by The Fenway Institute. This disparity is due to a misconception that sexual minority women are not at risk for cervical cancer as well as their broader marginalization in the health care system.

Yearly, over 12,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 4,000 die from the disease. The majority of cervical cancers in the US occur among women who have never been screened or who were not screened within the past five or more years. This is bad news for lesbians and bisexual women, who are less likely to undergo routine screening for cervical cancer. The vast majority of cervical cancers are caused by a human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, and many sexual minority women – and their healthcare providers – are under the misperception that HPV cannot be passed between women during sex. In fact, because HPV passes through skin-to-skin genital, as well as potentially through oral-vaginal and digital-vaginal contact, even women who exclusively have sex with women are at risk for contracting the virus, and by extension, cervical cancer. Multiple studies have shown that lesbians and bisexual women are just as likely as heterosexual women to have HPV and cervical abnormalities that could potentially lead to cancer if unchecked.

Current guidelines recommend that screening start for all women at age 21, regardless of HPV vaccination or age of sexual debut, and continue every three years until age 29; the screening interval may be lengthened to every five years for women ages 30-65 if HPV co-testing is done in addition to the Pap test.  Women with a history of a prior abnormal Pap test or who are immune compromised (e.g. by HIV) should be screened yearly.

The brief concludes with a set of policy recommendations, including:

• –Promote routine cervical cancer screening for lesbians and bisexual women through patient in-reach and community outreach with sexual minority-specific messaging, wording, and peer education;
• –Increase training for clinicians in the reproductive health needs of sexual minority populations, including the need for regular cervical cancer screening among women who have sex with women;
• –Promote HPV vaccination as a primary prevention strategy among lesbians and bisexual women;
• –Include transgender men (individuals born with female reproductive organs but who identify as male, many of whom still retain a cervix if a total hysterectomy is not performed) in cervical cancer screening programs;
• –Collect sexual orientation and gender identity data in cancer registries, patient medical records, and health surveys to better understand the burden of cervical cancer and cancer screening practices among this population.

“Lesbian and bisexual women experience a number of health disparities,” said Stephen Boswell, MD, President and CEO of Fenway Health. “The Affordable Care Act’s expansion of health care access and efforts by the federal government to increase clinical competency in LGBT health care offer opportunities to reduce the disparity we see in cervical cancer screening.”

A PDF of the cervical cancer screening policy brief is available online at www.fenwayhealth.org/cervicalcancerfocus.  

Communities unite in North Dakota for the 3rd annual GLBTQA Statewide Conference – Discover The Movement

 

Gustavo Torrez

Program Manager

The Network for LGBT Health Equity

Good morning form chilly North Dakota

 

 

Its been over two years since I was last in North Dakota, and when I was asked to speak at the 3^rd annual GLBTQA conference I was overjoyed at the progress they have made over the past couple years.  The Folks with the North Dakota Department of Health, Tobacco Control Program (DOH) are steadfastly working on LGBT inclusion efforts. While facing multiple challenges they are dedicated to ensuring comprehensive inclusion whenever possible. One of the key messages we tell states is to partner with local LGBT groups. We cannot stress this enough, if you show up to community events, conferences etc. you forge partnerships that will be invaluable in serving the community. It was the dedication of staff at the DOH, which lead conference organizers to allocate a specific slot in their agenda focused on Health and Tobacco, thus making it very difficult to say know to my friends at the DOH. This is the importance of collaborations, and making your presence known.

My presentation: LGBT Health & Social Justice will take a look at our movement with a social justice framework, taking a walk through the LGBT movement, with a focus on tobacco use in the LGBT community.  I will also be sitting on a closing panel to recap the day, visioning for the future.

The conference aims to discover where the LGBTQA movement is; nationally, statewide, and personally.  With an emphasis on what the movement mean for individuals, identifying interest and direction for folks in attendance, and what folks in North Dakota can accomplish as a unified collective! With workshops designed to dig into these issues, they have various panels with community members, and Natalie (Klueg) Clark as their opening keynote.

The conference stands as a longstanding reminder of the tradition of support, education, and advocacy in GLBTQA activism in North Dakota. I look forward to a great day and most of all continued progress in North Dakota.

No hay salud sin salud sexual = There is no health without sexual health

By Juan Carlos Vega

Blogging for the Citizens’ Alliance Pro LGBTTA Health of Puerto Rico

and the CDC-funded LGBT and Latino National Disparities Networks

 

During this morning plenary session at the VI International Congress of Health Promoting Universities and the IV Public Health Conference of Puerto Rico (http://ivconferenciasp.rcm.upr.edu/home.html), newly elected and LGBTT friendly San Juan Mayor, Mrs. Carmen Yulín Cruz, stated that we can not achieve health without sexual health and education.

Dr. Carlos Rodríguez from the Medical Science Campus at the UPR opened his concurrent session stating that sexual health is much more than STD’s and HIV/AIDS.  Comprehensive health has to fully integrate sexual education, especially Puerto Rico’s public schools health education programs.  They have been non-existent for the last ten years.  So now, we have a generation of young parents with low sexual education levels.  Media mostly focuses on high HIV/AIDS and STD’s statistics, yet important aspects like these are not taken into consideration in the public health context.

Sexoplorando, a study on sexual health in Puerto Rico, included a trans sample and representation from 71 of 78 municipalities in Puerto Rico.  Email salud.sexual@upr.edu for more details on this study.

Tobacco Control In LGBT Communities: A journey through this valuable report

As I am sure you are aware on Tuesday Legacy released a new report: Tobacco Control In LGBT Communities. This report is another to hit the national stage to address the growing concern of tobacco use and the affect it has on LGBT people. The layout of this report is quite nice, first addressing Legacy’s role in the movement, but more importantly highlighting the prevalence rates, and the fact data collection efforts needs to continue so we can monitor tobacco use in our communities.

While there are a lot of numbers folks who appreciate the data, sometimes the data does not truly share the full story. The report has a great section, Behind the Numbers: Tobacco and LGBT Communities. Which paints the story of why tobacco use is and continues to be an issues among our communities. It looks at Social Stigma and Smoking, the Bar and Club Culture, addressing health care disparities and the lack of access to health care our communities face. In addition they showcase tobacco industry targeting, and how smoking is normalized in our community in such a way that it has truly infiltrated our lives and LGBT culture overall. Additionally it goes in to the efforts the tobacco industry took in co-opting our community, and how tobacco companies were characterized as pioneers who stood in solidarity with our communities which is such a fascinating read.

We all know that there is a long standing history of LGBT people and tobacco. The report addresses some key points on what needs to be done moving forward with a set of actions public health and tobacco control organizations can take to counter tobacco in our communities:

• Engage directly with the LGBT community to offer cessation and prevention services that are culturally competent.
• Include questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in population-based studies and surveys of health status.
• Develop better and more standardized questions about sexual orientation and gender identity so a better picture of LGBT populations can be drawn.
• Conduct longitudinal cohort studies, which follow participants over long periods of time.
• Include, at all levels, LGBT people in mainstream tobacco control efforts.
• Develop tobacco control media campaigns targeting LGBT communities.
• Help LGBT communities and organizations find alternatives to tobacco industry funding.
• Include LGBT youth in all levels of tobacco control efforts.
• Ensure that the leadership of LGBT tobacco control efforts represents all LGBT communities, including traditionally disenfranchised segments such as transgender people, lesbian and bisexual women, people of color, LGBT youth, and LGBT people of lower socioeconomic status.

In the second part of this report it showcases four case studies of past legacy grantees. Leave no Funds Behind, which was a project the Network created working on Bridging the Gap Between LGBT Organizations and Tobacco Control Funding. As well as, Delicious Lesbian Kisses: A Social Marketing Campaign with Staying Power, Crush: The LGBT Lifestyle Project, and 30 Seconds: Helping Health Care Providers Reach LGBT Tobacco Users were all highlighted.

I highly recommend you take a look at this report, and share both the report and the factsheet created by legacy:

Tobacco Control In LGBT Communities Report

Tobacco Fact Sheet: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (Lgbt) communities and smoking

Upcoming event: Legacy and HRC panel discussion examining the factors influencing tobacco use in LGBT communities

 

Kabi Pokhrel

Director of Dissemination, LEGACY

Washington, DC

 

 

Hello Network!

I wanted to extend an invitation to you, on behalf of LEGACY and the Human Right’s Campaign, to the upcoming panel and reception to celebrate the release of a new report, Tobacco Control in LGBT Communities (for more information, see below!).

Legacy and the Human Right Campaign are hosting a panel discussion examining the socio-cultural factors influencing tobacco use in LGBT communities in the U.S., which result in high prevalence rates, disease and loss of life.  Research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the U.S. use tobacco at much higher rates. Why do LGBT Americans smoke so much, and what initiatives have succeeded in reducing LGBT tobacco use? Legacy and HRC will host a panel discussion exploring these questions and more as Legacy releases a new report, Tobacco Control in LGBT Communities.  To find out more about the panel discussion, click here!

Event Date: December 11, 2012

Event Time:  3:30 to 6:00 p.m. EDT

Location: Human Rights Campaign

                      1640 Rhode Island Ave. N.W.

                      Washington, DC 20036

Reception to follow!

 

To view the webcast of the panel discussion, click here.  Or to register to attend IN PERSON, click here.

 
Legacy is releasing a new report entitled Tobacco Control in LGBT Communities at this panel discussion on December 11th, 2012.  This report calls attention to the issues of the high prevalence of tobacco use and nicotine dependence and tobacco-related disparities facing the LGBT communities. It examines sociocultural facets of tobacco use and tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among LGBT individuals. The report also includes four case examples of promising projects implemented by Legacy’s past grantees to address tobacco-related disparities among LGBT individuals.  Once released, the report will be available online at http://www.legacyforhealth.org/1999.aspx. Please contact Legacy’s dissemination program at dissemination@americanlegacy.org<mailto:dissemination@americanlegacy.org>, if you would like to order hard copies of this report.

Network Staff in First Agency-Wide “I AM: Trans People Speak” Video, also Great Public Health Tool

by Emilia Dunham

Guest Blogger / Former Network Staff / The Fenway Institute Study Coordinator

I am very pleased to announce the release of Fenway Health’s contribution to the  “I AM: Trans People Speak” campaign, which I coordinated through my new study for young transgender women, the LifeSkills project of The Fenway Institute.

If you’re not familiar, the “I AM” project is an amazingly powerful campaign raising awareness about the diversity that exists within transgender communities. It gives a voice to transgender individuals, as well as their families, friends, and allies. In the video’s premier, I hosted at Fenway, LifeSkills Investigator Sari Reisner discusses how it is also a brilliant public health campaign.

Research shows how projects like the “I AM” videos are fantastic examples of how media campaigns are widely recognized as useful public health tools, and that focused, well-executed health media campaigns can change some health knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. (Randolph & Viswanath, 2004) (Noar, 2006) – Sari Reisner, 11/14/2012

Demonstrating the impact of this campaign, our event listing and video were cross-posted in multiple locations including MTPC, GLAAD, Boston.com, The Rainbow Times and GLAAD! Even more significantly, major news outlets like CBS have picked up the campaign! A few professors and students have mentioned their plans to use in their classrooms as well. Just think about the incredible impact this campaign could have!

Making this fun, moving and theoretically informed video even better, the Network’s own Daniella Matthews-Trigg, Gustavo Torrez and *your’s truly* appear at various points in the video! As you know the Network is all about how the effects of social media can be tools for advocacy in public health, and this is a prime example that’s just in time for Transgender Awareness Week. It’s ok if you watch just to see our lovely faces, but also consider sending around to your friends, family, classmate/students and colleagues for your part in Transgender Awareness Week or make your own video after watching some on the website.

As we see how even the White House is recognizing Transgender Awareness Week, and that folks like Scout have a seat at the White House table for trans policy initiatives, it’s important to have positive public health tools like this campaign to help educate along the way.

Noar SM. (2006). A 10-year retrospective of research in health mass media campaigns: Where do we go from here? Journal of Health Communication, 11, 21-42.

Randolph W, Viswanath K. (2004). Lessons learned from public health mass media campaigns: Marketing health in a crowded media world. Annual Review of Public Health, 25, 419-437.

March Updates from the Network

March has been yet another busy month for the Network. We are pleased to announce the launch of two major projects from the Network. First, Joseph Lee of our Steering Committee is helping us launch MPOWERED best and promising 

practices review, an effort to collect lessons learned in the field of LGBT Tobacco Control. The final document will be launched at our Summit, the 8^th National LGBT Health Equity Summit, in Kansas City this August. Second, at long last the Network is pleased to announce the launch of our new website www.lgbthealthequity.org. Although we are still working on the last small details, we are very pleased to have this new resource up and running for the field.

Our staff was active this month in a few different events. First, Scout attended the FDA Research Summit. At it we got one win from a prior action alert – FDA agreed to collect at least LGB (not yet T) data on their new historic NIH tobacco research project. He recaps the important aspects of the summit here: FDA Tobacco Research Meeting – Upshot & Action Needed Now!

Pakou, Sarah, and Ditra giving us the inside line

He also attended the TAPP-INTO convening of state disparity networks in Minnesota (we have a long term contract to provide tech assist to these networks). See one of the key lessons from their sustainability training here: What do funders want? Gustavo was also out training, he presented on making practices welcoming to LGBT patients at the first ever Sharing Best Practices in GLBT Health training sponsored by the Sylvie Ratelle Prevention and Training Center of Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Most recently, staff attended the FDA Tobacco Policy Center disparities listening session hosted by our friends at Legacy, with the sister tobacco control networks and partners across the country. The next day, Legacy convened the disparity groups to strategize together. Watch to see us roll out more coordinated menthol advocacy in the near future, and read about the other policy priorities here: Disparity Networks Plus.

There have been some major events this month that the Network has been promoting. First, partnering with our friends at Shift MN, we celebrated Kick Butts Day. We had two great posts from MN Youth from Shift MN showcased posts on our blog; Dangerous Swagger and Breathe… Standing Up Against Corporate Tobacco. The Network has also helped promote the Coalition’s Health Awareness Week. Most notably, we have helped spread the news on two major tobacco events: the rollout of the first national tobacco education campaign and the release of the Surgeon General’s Report on youth smoking. Also this month, the Network campaigned to help one of our bloggers, e.shor, run for and ultimately win a scholarship to Netroots Nation. The network also highlighted some world tobacco news, as Brazil announced the ban of flavored cigarettes including menthol. According to a report from the National LGBTQ Youth Adult Tobacco Project, 71%
of LGBT youth who smoke cigarettes smoke mentholated cigarettes. If FDA stepped up and also banned menthol in the U.S. it is likely the single most important action that could be taken to deter youth smoking. Also, we continue to highlight local projects, like this one on David Mariner’s tobacco and HIV project, and provide policy insight on our blog, like with our post on LGBT funding announcements and our heads up on things we expect to see soon from HHS.

We are very pleased to report that one of the requests we made with our Puerto Rico allies in January’s Department of Justice meetings has already come about, FBI and DOJ officials have been deployed to Puerto Rico to conduct additional listening sessions with community members with a promise of official trainings to follow. Read more about it here.

In other notes, we also got the news our PCORI application submitted a few months ago did not get funded and we are currently seeking nominations for two new Steering Committee members. Also catch our nice rundown of last year’s accomplishments here: Highlights of Network Accomplishments Over Past Year.

Finally, you know we blog a lot, and perhaps you’ve noticed we’re also trying to get more media attention to LGBT tobacco and wellness issues. We’re happy to announce a great outgrowth of both of those efforts; Scout has become an official Huffington Post blogger! Read his first two pieces New ‘Additional Feature’ for Health Insurance Finder: Same-Sex Coverage & White House Creates a Watershed Moment for LGBT Health and be sure to watch for more.

White House LGBT Conference on Health – Feb 16th in Philadelphia

 

 

By Gustavo Torrez

Program Manager

White House LGBT Conference on Health 

 

The Network is pleased to inform you all of the White House LGBT Conference on Health.

The Event will take place in Philadelphia February 16, 2012. We encourage you to attend if you are able. Scout will be attending on behalf of the Network so if you are planning on attending let us know so we can link you all together. Make sure you RSVP early as space is limited.

 

White House LGBT Conference on Health

Hosted by the White House and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

in partnership with Mazzoni Center

Thursday, February 16, 2012

8:30 AM – 5:30 PM

Thomas Jefferson University

Dorrance H. Hamilton Building

1001 Locust Street

Philadelphia, PA

 

Featuring

Kathleen Sebelius

Secretary, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

 

SPACE IS LIMITED. REGISTER ONLINE: http://go.usa.gov/nxj

Click here for full details on the event. 

Public Health Stakeholder Call Today12PM EST, Dec 14: Public Release of the Institute of Medicine Report on Scientific Standards for Studies on Modified Risk Tobacco Products

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act requires the FDA to consult with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the design and conduct of studies and surveillance required for the assessment and ongoing review of modified risk tobacco products. Tomorrow, the IOM will release a report on the design and conduct of studies which the FDA will use in the assessment and ongoing review of modified risk tobacco products. Please see below for an invitation from the Institute of Medicine. ———————————— The Institute of Medicine report, “Scientific Standards for Studies on Modified Risk Tobacco Products,” will be publicly released at 11:00 AM EST on December 14th, 2011. This report provides advice to the FDA on the minimum standards for scientific studies to allow the marketing of modified risk tobacco products, and for post-market studies of marketed products, as described in section 911 of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009. More information on the report can be found at: www.iom.edu/modifiedrisktobacco The IOM will be hosting a teleconference briefing about the report for interested parties. During the briefing, the chair of the committee and several committee members will briefly review the main recommendations and findings of the report, and will also be available to answer questions. The teleconference will be from 12:00 PM EST to 12:45 PM EST. Phone Number: 866-528-2256 Access Code: 3343154

If you have questions, please email AskCTP@fda.hhs.gov or call 1-877-CTP-1373. Food and Drug Administration | 9200 Corporate Blvd | Rockville, MD 20850 | www.fda.gov/tobacco