When you look at the front page of our website, you’ll see that we describe River Bend Medical Associates as a “progressive and culturally diverse family practice.” This is a mission statement that we take extremely seriously, especially when providing services to members of our local LGBT community.
Our goal is for our LGBT patients to feel secure in discussing any issue of medical concern with your River Bend practitioner. Some of the concerns that your doctor is equipped to discuss include:
- Coming out to family and friends
- Concerns about domestic violence, involving either a partner or parent
- Options for growing your family
- Questions about the gender transition process
- Issues with sexual partners
- Ensuring safe sex practices and access to necessary STD testing and treatment
However, there are a variety of other health issues that are of heightened concern for members of the LGBT community.
The oldest and largest organization in the world dedicated to the health and welfare of LGBT individuals is the GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality organization. (In fact, the organization has been around so long that it predates the existence of the LGBT acronym.) The GLMA, founded in 1981, advocates for LGBT medical practitioners and LGBT patients.
The GLMA has identified a number of health issues that have an outsized impact on LGBT persons, and which we would strongly urge our patients to bring up with their doctors. These issues include:
- Eating disorders
- Alcohol, drug, and tobacco use
- Depression and other mental health issues
- Breast cancer
- Heart health
- Physical Fitness
- Prostate, testicular, and colon cancer
- Hepatitis immunization and testing
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Hormone therapy for transitioning
We are always ready to help you in any way we can. We strongly urge you to raise any concerns you might have with your doctor.
We understand that some of our patients may not be ‘out,’ but it’s extremely important that you disclose your orientation to your doctor, as this will help your doctor identify additional opportunities to ensure your continued good health, such as additional recommended immunizations or identifying specializes with relevant expertise.
It’s our job to ensure that our LGBT patients receive the best possible medical care, and it is a job—and an honor—that we will always take seriously. We thank you for trusting us with your health, and hope that you’ll continue to do so.