Aug 01, 2007News: Lesbian Health Fund Program Hits Half-Million Dollar Mark
By vanrozenheim
(Burlington, USA) - The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association announced today at the Women in Medicine Conference in Burlington, Vermont that its Lesbian Health Fund (LHF) program has given $500,000 to support lesbian health research. Lesbian and bisexual women are prone to discrimination in health care and, as a group, experience higher rates of smoking, obesity, and risk factors for breast cancer.
The LHF program was started in 1992 by lesbian physicians attending the annual Women in Medicine Conference. LHF grants to date have resulted in grantees obtaining an estimated $10 million in additional funding. The Lesbian Health Fund, which is supported by individual donors, is the world's only fund dedicated solely to the unique health needs of lesbians.
2007 LHF grants address HPV, responsible for much cervical cancer, breast cancer, and lesbian-headed families. Previous grants have addressed community-based health promotion models for African American lesbians, youth, barriers to physical activity, the effects of stigma on health, motherhood and intimate partner violence, lesbian soldiers in Canada, and differences in breast cancer treatment for lesbian and heterosexual women. Attendees at this year?s Women in Medicine conference heard six presentations on LHF funded research, including presentations by grant awardees S. Bryn Austin, Amy Herrick, Alicia K. Matthews, PhD, Carol Fonesca, Lyndal Khaw, Carmen Poulin, PhD, Lynne Gouliquer, and Nanette Gartrell, MD.
The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association is the world's largest association of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender healthcare professionals. For 25 years, GLMA has been working to ensure equality in healthcare for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and healthcare professionals through advocacy, education, research and referrals.
