Health

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PrEP, STIs, douching, and more: What I didn’t learn in sex ed, and why it matters (Part I)

In Georgia in the early 2010s, what was available to me as a LGBTQ person during my high school sex education class was… inadequate, to say the least. Now, my heart weighs heavy as GOP-led state governments are making LGBTQ* sex education even more inaccessible in public schools across the country.  The latest wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation comes only two years after Arizona lawmakers retracted their efforts to ban HIV/AIDS curriculum that “promotes a homosexual lifestyle” after facing massive public outlash and a lawsuit. However, this state’s legislature has made a second attempt in the spring of 2021, now framing the issue […]

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Microdosing hormones expands gender-affirming care options for non-binary folks

Most people associate microdosing with their artist friend who chews on a minuscule amount of mushrooms before painting or the Silicon Valley tech-bro who lists their LSD-laced coffee as the key to their success. Method aside, people say that enhancing their days with a sprinkling of psychedelics lets them be themselves, just better.  Non-binary and transgender people have also adopted microdosing in pursuit of their most authentic selves. Their drug of choice: hormones.  For decades, transgender people have used gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) to alleviate their gender dysphoria. The most common usage has been for transgender people of binary identity […]

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What does pansexual mean, and how is it different from bisexual and polysexual?

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Let’s take a moment to celebrate the pansexuals: the wonderful guys, gals and non-binary pals who love who they love regardless of gender. Pansexuality is part of the Bisexual+ Umbrella, meaning that it’s one of many identities in which someone is attracted to more than one gender. But how exactly do you define pansexuality, and how is it different from bisexuality or polysexuality? What does pansexual mean? Every pansexual’s understanding of their sexuality is personal to them, but in general it means that they aren’t limited by sex or gender when it comes to those they’re attracted to. The word comes from the Greek word “pan,” which means […]

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LGB Brits drink more, smoke more and have worse mental health: report

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A landmark NHS report has laid bare the concerning health inequalitiesfaced by lesbian, gay and bisexual adults in the UK. The first-of-its-kind report, published today (6 July) by NHS Digital, is based on data from 1,132 LGB adults who participated in the Health Survey for England between 2011–2018. The research found that LGB adults are more likely to drink more, smoke more and have worse mental health than the straight population, with worse health outcomes as a result. Despite LGB adults being 12 per cent less likely to be overweight or obese than straight people, a higher proportion of LGB people (7 […]

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What do the terms asexual and aromantic mean and what is the ‘asexual spectrum’?

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With one in ten young LGBT+ people now identifying on the asexual spectrum, many are questioning what asexuality is and how they can be an ally to asexual people. Put simply, asexuals experience a lack of sexual attraction towards others, but there are many forms of asexuality and it can mean different things to different people. Sadly asexuals are often overlooked both in and outside the LGBT+ community, and according to a 2019 survey, most British adults can’t even define the term. But the first thing you need to know is that asexuals are valid – and they’re far more common than you might expect. What does asexual mean? Asexuals or “ace” […]

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180 Organizations Call for Routine LGBTQI+ Health Data Collection

Over 180 LGBTQI and allied community organizations have signed on to an open letter to health leaders calling for an end to the invisibility of LGBTQI people in health data. Community leaders ask for data collection in health records, research, surveillance, clinical trials and more. They provide sample measures and urge health leaders not to wait further before making LGBTQI health data collection routine. The letter particularly calls out the lack of data related to COVID-19 impacts but notes how that builds on a foundation of major data gaps for most disease areas. The signers note the decades-long history of […]

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More gay and bi men allowed to donate blood as rules finally changed in UK

The British government on Monday (14 June) eased blood donation rules for gay, bisexual and queer men – yet activists warn harmful restrictions remain. Blood donation rules in England, Scotland and Wales have long screened out donors if they are a man who has had oral or anal sex with another man. This is because male donors were asked to disclose whether they have had sex with another man during checks. But coming into effect on World Blood Donor Day and following recommendations from a health committee, British blood services will now assess donor eligibility on a person-by-person basis instead […]

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5 queer men share their brave stories of living with eating disorders

It’s a simple fact that LGBT+ people are at high risk of developing eating disorders. A Stonewall study found one in eight LGBT+ people experience an eating disorder and, according to a Beat survey, 37 per cent of LGB respondents wouldn’t feel confident seeking help. Researchers recently found 18 per cent of boys who identify as gay and 13 per cent of boys who are bisexual experience eating disorders, compared with three per cent of heterosexual boys. Gay men have battled eating disorders for decades, which are often connected with anxiety and confusion regarding sexuality, but many still struggle to access treatment. Here […]

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Midwifery magazine shares gorgeous cover celebrating trans men who give birth

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A British midwifery magazine has shared an incredible cover that shows that, yes, trans men can give birth – and you bet it ticked off transphobes. In a cover designed by illustrator Lauren Rebbeck for its 24th volume in May, The Practising Midwife emphatically said that trans men who give birth are “amazing”. Part of the magazine’s Normal Birth series, the cover features a trans Black man after giving birth to a baby as his partner looks on in pride. His fist raised in the air, showing a rainbow tattoo with the words “right on” underneath. Of course, because their hobby is […]

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American Medical Association delivers firm rebuke to anti-trans bills that criminalise healthcare

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The American Medical Association (AMA) has delivered a firm rebuke to the spate of anti-trans bills attempting to criminalise healthcare for trans youth. Arkansas became the first state to ban puberty blockers and gender affirming treatment for trans minors in April, while similar bills are currently being considered in up to 20 state legislatures State representatives are pushing their discriminatory bans through despite firm opposition from medical and healthcare advocacy groups, including the AMA – which is the largest association of physicians in the United States. The American Medical Association recommitted to its already established position in a wide-ranging statement issued on Tuesday (15 June). The […]

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