Efforts to address the health of LGBT populations are hampered by a lack of infrastructure to support and direct funded initiatives. Currently there is no identified agency within the Public Health Service with responsibility to oversee and/or coordinate such initiatives. Various agencies have funded competitive research and policy studies, but these efforts have been scattered and without central, overarching guidance relevant to population health. For gay and bisexual men, competitive research grants have been funded primarily in areas related to HIV/AIDS. For lesbians, several grants have been awarded in the areas of substance abuse, health care, and mental health. While useful, these uncoordinated studies do not comprise an organized program of population-based research, nor is it easy to understand how they may mature into such a program without the intentional development of support structures. Research and public health interventions targeted to transgender individuals have lagged even more seriously. Recent reports on LGBT health, most notably the Institute of Medicine's landmark report on lesbian health, contain a number of recommendations that will be difficult to implement without significant infrastructure development. Political constraints may limit the feasibility of creating an LGBT-dedicated research organization within the federal bureaucracy. However, alternatives such as cooperative planning and funding of critical population-based research and initiatives may be feasible. Example of such collaborations will be described, and directions toward building an infrastructure for addressing LGBT health concerns will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: + Identify structural and institutional challenges to LGBT public health + Describe barriers to LGBT populations' access to quality health care services and public health intervention and prevention + Discuss steps towards building a public health infrastructure to promote LGBT health
Keywords: Public Health Infrastructure, Policy/Policy Development
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.