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Vision

 

Our vision is to build and sustain a strong community at the David Geffen School of Medicine, Fielding School of Public Health, School of Dentistry, and School of Nursing at UCLA that supports LGBTQ+ individuals and can meet the health needs of LGBTQ+ patients with compassionate and competent care.

 

Mission

 

MedGLO is a support network for UCLA medical students, residents and faculty who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual, two-spirit, questioning, and allies. MedGLO serves medical, dental, public health, nursing, and other allied health professions school students. Our mission is based on three pillars:

 

  • Networking: As a student and faculty organization, we strive to provide networking and educational opportunities to connect with health professionals and students. We will facilitate mentoring and both personal and professional growth opportunities for students, faculty, and staff members.

  • Advocacy: As a student organization, we strive to educate the School of Medicine and university communities about health issues facing LGBTQ+ patients and advocate on their behalf for competent and compassionate care. We believe that all physicians, future physicians, and medical personnel should know the health inequities faced by LGBTQ+ communities.

  • Service: The LGBTQ+ community is predisposed to experience health disparities such as with mental health, cancer, and access. It is up to us as future health care professionals to address them. We will work closely with the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles and at UCLA to address these disparities.

 

As a student organization, we strive to educate the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Nursing and University communities about health issues facing LGBTQ patients and advocate on their behalf for competent and compassionate care. Although many strides have been made toward equality, many health disparities involving mental health, cancer, access, and many others still exist. It is up to us as future health care professionals to help close these gaps. We believe that all physicians, future physicians, healthcare professionals, healthcare personnel, and those at risk should be aware of the health disparities that LGBTQ patients face, such as:

 

  • LGBT adults are less likely to have health insurance coverage

  • LGBT adults are more likely to delay or not seek medical care or get prescription medicine

  • Lesbian and bisexual women are less likely to receive mammograms and pap smears despite similar risks to their heterosexual peers.

  • LGBT adults are more likely to have HIV, cancer, CVD, diabetes, and respiratory disease.

  • LGBT youth are more likely to be threatened or injured with a weapon in school.

  • LGBT youth are more likely to be overweight.

  • LGBT youth are more likely to experience psychological distress and need medication for emotional health issues

  • LGBT youth are more likely to have suicide ideations and attempt suicide.

 

Everyone who believes that LGBT patients have a basic human right to adequate healthcare, or who supports those who are LGBT in medicine medicine is welcome within MedGLO. Requests for confidentiality will be respected.

Resources

  • Kosciw, Joseph G., et al. The 2011 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). 121 West 27th Street Suite 804, New York, NY 10001, 2012.

  • Conron, Kerith J., Matthew J. Mimiaga, and Stewart J. Landers. "A population-based study of sexual orientation identity and gender differences in adult health." American Journal of Public Health 100.10 (2010): 1953-1960.

  • Boehmer, Ulrike, et al. "Adult health behaviors over the life course by sexual orientation." American journal of public health 102.2 (2012): 292-300.

  • Awosogba, Temitope, et al. "Prioritizing health disparities in medical education to improve care." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (2013).

  • Andersen, Judith P., and John Blosnich. "Disparities in adverse childhood experiences among sexual minority and heterosexual adults: results from a multi-state probability-based sample." PloS one 8.1 (2013): e54691.

  • Blosnich, John, Traci Jarrett, and Kimberly Horn. "Disparities in smoking and acute respiratory illnesses among sexual minority young adults." Lung 188.5 (2010): 401-407.

  • McLaughlin, Katie A., et al. "Disproportionate exposure to early-life adversity and sexual orientation disparities in psychiatric morbidity." Child Abuse & Neglect (2012).

  • Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I., et al. "Health Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Older Adults: Results From a Population-Based Study." American journal of public health 0 (2013): e1-e8.

  • Krehely, Jeff. "How to close the LGBT health disparities gap." Center for American Progress (2009): 1-9.

  • Krehely, J. "How to close the LGBT health disparities gap: disparities by race and ethnicity, 2009." (2011).

  • Makadon, Harvey J. "Providing Quality Care for LGBT People in Patient Centered Medical Homes: Ending Invisibility and Overcoming Health Disparities." (2012).

  • Hughes, Tonda, et al. "Victimization and substance use disorders in a national sample of heterosexual and sexual minority women and men." Addiction 105.12 (2010): 2130-2140.

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