What every LGBT person should discuss with their doctor
Getting an annual check up with a doctor can be a great way to stay on top of your own health issues, as 
well as being a great opportunity to discuss that weird mole that turned a darker brown a few months ago.
As for me, I am lucky enough to have a dad in the medical field, so I’ve never gone to a check up. I’ve never even had a physical. Does my dad appreciate phone calls at 4:30 a.m. with me in tears, wailing about my new browner–looking mole that I’m 300 percent sure is cancer? I’m sure he does, because I never call for any other reasons.
But I am not a great model to go off of for keeping yourself healthy. For all you who don’t have parents in the medical field, annual check-ups are a staple.
I talked with Dr. Rita Lee from the University of Colorado Hospital to learn some tips on LGBT health in particular:
- In the LGBT community, rates of tobacco use, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are much more prevalent, so keeping your doctor in the loop with any of these is vital to your wellness.
- Lesbians (and women in general) should be sure to be up–to–date with pap smears and mammograms.
- Heart health, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI should also be monitored regularly.
- Gay men should be inoculated against Hepatitis A and B, have discussions with their doctors about anal pap testing, and complete HIV and STI risk/screening assessments.
- Transgender people will need monitoring labs if they are on hormones, and will need to discuss HIV risk/screening (since the HIV infection rate for transgender people is four times higher than the national average).
