Health

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California uninsured rate falls to a new record low

A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that California’s uninsured rate has fallen to a new record low of 7.1 percent, which is significantly lower than the 17 percent the CDC found in 2013. “Covered California is proud to be part of the effort that is helping millions of people get the coverage and care they need,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “From expanding Medi-Cal to launching a competitive state-based marketplace, California is empowering consumers and providing quality and value.” The CDC survey, which covered January to September 2016, also showed […]

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HPV: The Health Crisis We’re Not Talking About

A recent and unscientific polling of some LGBTs about human papillomavirus (HPV) ventured some guesses: “Isn’t that the name of the warts people get on their junk?”; “That’s what women get that causes cervical cancer.”; “Doesn’t it give lesbians throat cancer?” The depth of our common knowledge about HPV isn’t substantial, which is to say it’s kind of like everyone else’s understanding of it. But certain factors in LGBT populations increase our risk of some serious health outcomes, including cancer. “Pretty much everyone is infected with HPV at some point in their life,” says physician Judith Shlay, interim director of […]

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NASTAD Launches Accredited Education Program to Elevate the Standard of Care for Black Gay Men

NASTAD (National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors), has announced the launch of a new online training platform, HisHealth.org, to help doctors, nurses, and medical professionals unlearn racial biases that create barriers to good care and elevate the quality of healthcare for black gay men and black men who have sex with men. The barriers for black gay men in search of medical care are high. Even though most medical providers want to give good care, only 1 in 3 doctors know what PrEP is — a groundbreaking HIV prevention medication; many doctors aren’t versed in providing quality care […]

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A Big New Study On Bisexuality Offers Mixed Results and Other Health News

LGBT HealthLink LGBT HealthLink is a community-driven network of experts and professionals enhancing LGBT health by eliminating tobacco use, reduce cancer, and understand other health realities within our communities. Big Bi Study Finds Mixed Results A study of U.S. adults found that many people neither agreed nor disagreed with stereotypical statements such as “bisexuality is just a phrase” or bisexuals “are incapable of being faithful,” showing the public has yet to reject stigmatizing beliefs on bisexuality. Women felt more positive towards bisexuality than did men, and both genders felt more positive about bi women than about bi men. Cigarette Tax […]

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Health Care Startup Delivers STD Testing Door-to-door

Less than half of adults aged 18 to 44 have been tested for an STD other than HIV. With millions infected every year, the need for an alternative that will make testing easier and more convenient for those at risk is critical. Healthcare startup Medcinity announces the launch of GetTested, a new at-home STD screening service. Catering to a new generation of consumers, GetTested, is a straight-to-consumer testing option that allows individuals to screen themselves on their own schedules and in the privacy of their own homes. No more inconvenient, uncomfortable trips to the health clinic. GetTested kits screen for […]

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PrEP Provider Directory Goes Live

Researchers from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University unveiled a new website, www.preplocator.org, that will allow users to locate a medical provider or clinic that can prescribe Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV infection. If taken daily, PrEP helps prevent the transmission of HIV. According to Damon L. Jacobs who founded the Facebook Group: PrEP Facts: Rethinking HIV Prevention and Sex, “We have been doing this on a grass-roots peer-to-peer level since July 1, 2013. The creators of this database used a lot of these conversations to find providers. New providers can easily be added to the […]

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Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Is on the Rise. Should Gay and Bi Men Be Concerned?

  For many gay and bi men, it’s a perennial point of contention: Are “minor” sexually transmitted infections—like chlamydia or gonorrhea—a cause for serious concern or major behavior modification? They’re no fun, to be sure, and left untreated, they can cause problems more severe than a bit of burning or discharge. But then again, like many maladies we don’t rrationally stigmatize, they’re curable with a course of antibiotics, right? For the most part they are. But a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, featured in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found a significant rise in resistance […]

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HRC Foundation and Whitman-Walker Health Release Transgender Sexual Health Guide

Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation and Whitman-Walker Health, a community health center with special expertise in LGBTQ and HIV-related care, released Safer Sex for Trans Bodies, a comprehensive sexual health guide for transgender and gender expansive people and their partners. The guide fills a significant gap in inclusive, publicly-available sexual health resources for transgender and gender expansive people. “Transgender people are too often denied crucial and relevant guidance around sexual health that everyone needs to live healthy, safe and whole lives” said HRC Communications Director Jay Brown. “Transgender health issues, especially those related to sexual health, are all […]

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17 Things Anyone With A Penis Needs To Know About Getting Tested

Sex is great, and you should be able to enjoy it without worrying about all the sexually transmitted infections (STIs) out there. That’s why getting tested regularly just makes sense. It’s a simple, quick, and relatively painless way to be a better, more thoughtful sex-haver.So we checked in with a few experts: Dr. Gail Bolan, Director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention; Dr. Peter Leone, professor of medicine at UNC School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases; and Dr. David Bell, medical director and chief physician at the Young Men’s Clinic in New York. Here’s what they want you to […]

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You Can Get it From Sex, and 10 Other Things to Know About Hep C

  Did you know that there are about 3.5 million people in the U.S. with hepatitis C—and about half don’t know they’re infected? In San Francisco, it’s estimated that between 5% and 8% of men who have sex with men have hep C. At a recent Positive Force event, I invited my colleague Lisa Capaldini, MD, to speak to our group about what gay men should know about hepatitis C. Dr. Capaldini is an HIV and hep C specialist who’s been practicing in the Castro since 1989. Below is a summary of the no-nonsense, practical info she gave our guys […]

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