Do lesbians need a cure for fear?Fear of homophobia homophobia Psychology An irrationally negative attitude toward those with homosexual orientation, or toward becoming homosexual. See Closet, Gay-bashing, Heterosexism. Cf Gay, Homosexual, Phobia. trumps all--including doctors' orders--when it comes to lesbians and health care, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a survey conducted by Washington, D.C.'s Whitman-Walker Clinic. Of the more than 600 lesbians surveyed, 87% had health insurance. Yet almost one in three procrastinated when it came to seeking health care. "We found that women who are insured, well-educated, and middle- and high-income still see homophobia as a barrier, delay seeking health care, and aren't getting preventative screenings," said Ellen Kahn, director of Whitman-Walker's Lesbian Services Program. This delay in seeking health care keeps lesbians from receiving potentially lifesaving preventive services. Almost one third of the women surveyed had not had a pelvic exam Pelvic Exam Definition A pelvic examination is a routine procedure used to assess the well being of the female patients' lower genito-urinary tract. or a Pap smear Pap smear or Papanicolaou smear Sample of cells from the vagina and cervix of the uterus for laboratory staining and examination to detect genital herpes and early-stage cancer, especially of the cervix. Developed by the Greek-born U.S. in the previous year. In addition, nearly half of those surveyed had not had a clinical breast exam in the past year. Doctors recommend that all women have a Pap test Pap test, Pap smear, or Papanicolaou test (păp'ənē`kəlou), medical procedure used to detect cancer of the uterine cervix. , pelvic exam, and breast exam annually. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion