VIDEO: Physicians can make 'life-saving difference' by providing informed care of LGBT patients

WASHINGTON — Informed physicians can make a life-saving difference on patients by recognizing the nuances of LGBT identities and behaviors, Kenneth Mayer, MD, FACP, FIDSA, infectious disease specialist and internist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said here at the annual American College of Physicians Internal Medicine Meeting.

Mayer, who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical research director at Fenway Health, discussed how to provide the best care for sexual and gender minority populations.

"The first issue that internists need to take into account is that most patients who are sexual and gender minority individuals are not obvious to the clinician unless they ask or unless the patient volunteers," he said "In other words, people may have ideas about stereotypes about feminized men being gay or women with certain characteristics being lesbian, or may think they can identify someone who is transgender, but more often than not, it's not highly apparent."

Sexual history and gender identity are important data to collect for a patient's history because they have a great impact on patient care, he said. These populations can be at high risk for certain infectious diseases and behavior health issues such as depression and substance abuse.

"It's an extremely important part of primary care for these health disparities to be identified," Mayer explained.