A prescription to cure homophobic doctors

[Shana A]

A prescription to cure homophobic doctors

by Beth Dreher

http://www.planetout.com/news/roundups/package.html?sernum=7034&navpath=/channels/health/

During a yearly checkup, Harvey Makadon did what any responsible sexually active gay man would do: He asked his doctor for an HIV test. But the doctor's reaction surprised Makadon, himself a physician and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

"I had just turned 40 and it was the first time I'd ever talked to a doctor about being gay and wanting to be tested," says Makadon. "But after I brought it up, he never ordered the test and never mentioned it again. I think clinicians are just not comfortable dealing with these kinds of issues."

So Makadon set out to educate his narrow-minded medical brethren, and, along with three co-authors, edited the recently published Fenway Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health. We talked with him about why doctors seem uncomfortable treating gay people, why LGBT health care hasn't come far from the days of queerness being labeled a disorder and more.

[buttercup]

Drats....I hope I'm not going to have that problem with the Doc.  I am going to a local G.P this week to ask for a anti-hiv test, need one for upcoming op in July, it is inperative that I have one. 

[Mnemosyne]

The first step is getting them to actually listen. Having been treated like crap by a few physicians in my time I know how impossible that can be.

For HIV tests I have always hit up the endoc. had one last year and this year plus the endoc insisted on having one when I first started even though I had not been sexually active, did drugs, or have any blood transfusions (in short, no risky behavior). Every time I have had any blood work done by my GP it costs about double.