Some books break myths. Others break silences. A few break new ground. The Health of Sexual Minorities achieves all three aims. The first book of its kind, this resource offers a multidimensional picture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) health across clinical and social disciplines to give readers a full and nuanced understanding of these diverse populations. Here are real-world matters of definition and self-definition (including sexual identity, gender identity, and anti-identity), meticulous analyses of stressor and health outcomes, a extensive coverage of research methodology concerns, and critical insights into the sociopolitical context of LGBT individuals health and lives. Developmental issues across the lifecourse Human rights and ethical issues Global perspectives of LGBT health Physical and mental health issues Issues and concerns of racial/ethnic minority groups Health concerns of lesbian and bisexual women Prejudice and homophobia as social stressors A comprehensive review of quantitative and qualitative research methodology Tobacco, alcohol, and substance use issues The current state of LGBT health care and strategies for improvement The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on LGBT communities The Health of Sexual Minorities is an advanced-level text whose scope and accessibility makes it useful to a broad audience. Over 50 contributors have made this a work of crucial importance to public health and health care professionals and biomedical and social science researchers. The Health of Sexual Minorities encourages clear thinking, informed practice, and effective, progressive policy for improved health and well-being of LGBT individuals and communities. "The Health of Sexual Minorities is a welcome and much needed comprehensive text focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations, chiefly in the U.S. but also globally. Of use to researchers, practitioners, and advocates alike, the text covers key conceptual, methodological, and substantive issues. Its critical analysis of how unjust sexual hierarchies harm health exemplifies why LBGT health and health care issues must be analyzed and addressed in context: in relation to gender, class, racism, and the ways in which sociopolitical conditions shape LGBT identity and health." Nancy Krieger, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health

Leseprobe

Shifting sands or solid foundation? Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identity information.- Development of same-sex attracted youth.- Developmental issues in lesbian and gay adulthood.- Biology and sexual minority status.- The importance of being perverse: Troubling law, identities, health and rights in search of global justice.- Ethical, legal, social and political implications of scientific research on sexual orientation.- Targeting the state: Risks, benefits, and strategic dilemmas of recent LGBT health advocacy.- Sexual stigma: Putting sexual minority health issues in context.- Globalization, structural violence, and LGBT health: A cross-cultural perspective.- Minority stress and mental health in LGB populations.- Historical, structural, interpersonal, and cultural determinants of health among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and two-spirit American Indians and Alaska Natives.- "I don''t fit anywhere": How race and sexuality shape Latino gay and bisexual men''s health.- Black LGB health and well-being.- Defining and measuring sexual orientation for research.- Samplings in surveys of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.- Researching gay men''s health: The promise of qualitative methodology.- From science fiction to computer-generated technology: Sampling lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.- Using community-based participatory research to understand and eliminate social disparities in health for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations.- Transgender health concerns.- Health concerns of lesbian and bisexual women.- Cancer and sexual minority women.- HIV/AIDS prevention research among Black men who have sex with men: Current progress and future directions.- LGBT tobacco and alcohol disparities.- Methaphetamine use and its relation to HIV risk: Data from Latino gay men in San Francisco.- Improving access to health care among African-American, Asian & Pacific Islanders, and Latino lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations.- Public health and trans-people: Barriers to care and strategies to improve treatment.- HIV prevention and care for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youths: "best practices" from existing programs and policies.- Fenway Community Health''s model of integrated community-based LGBT care, education and research