Seeing your doctor consistently and staying on top of health screenings are vital to maintaining your health. Cancers and chronic conditions, like high blood pressure and osteoporosis can be caught early with regular screenings. Treatment for these conditions can be life changing. Learn more about how to stay healthy through screenings with the resources below.
Depending on your age, birth sex, family history, sexual activity, and other health issues or risk factors, there are standard preventative screening recommendations for you. Cancers, such as breast, cervical, prostate, or colorectal cancer, can all be caught early with regular screenings and this early detection saves lives. And other conditions, like high blood pressure and osteoporosis, can also be found in screening and treatment for these conditions can be life changing.
Chronic disease is becoming a pervasive issue in the US today. In fact, here in Missouri, nearly 7 out of 10 residents will die from chronic diseases in a given year.
Living with a chronic disease, like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, or asthma, can be quite difficult and requires a lifetime of maintenance. But we want you alive and healthy and fabulous, so we think the extra work is worth it. Whether you’re struggling to deal with a new diagnosis or looking for better ways to maintain your health with a chronic disease, we’ve got you covered.
It’s hard to believe, but advocacy and activism around HIV/AIDS has been happening for over three decades. Today, a positive HIV test doesn’t mean nearly the same thing it did when AIDS crisis began. But there is still work to be done. There is a vast disparity in the LGTBQ community when it comes to who is at the highest risk of contracting HIV and those with HIV/AIDS and their families have needs that our community is called on to meet.
Learn about HIV/AIDS and connect with an organization in your city that is providing services for HIV+ folks or advocating on their behalf.
Since you’re here, we figured you might be wondering if you need to get tested for STIs. We’ve developed a simple, one-question survey to determine is you should consider getting tested, just for you. Ready? Here it is:
Have you ever been sexually active with anyone? We’re talking oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, even heavy petting. Yes? Check out these resources and find a place to get tested.
The first step in getting healthy is knowing your health status and getting tested is a big part of that. So gather your friends, grab your lovers, and head on down to your local testing location!
You know you’re not going to go to the doctor if you feel like you’re going to get treated poorly, right? That’s actually the main reason lots of LGBTQ folks avoid going to the doctor – fear of discrimination. But then that means that when we get sick, we don’t get care. Then we get sicker. And it turns out that our whole community has a tendency to be less healthy than our straight brethren.
So let’s nip this in the bud. You need care – competent, welcoming, informative, safe, affordable, respectful care. Luckily, there are nurses and doctors (and dentists and therapists and chiropractors) who are standing up as safe providers – ones who aren’t just willing to serve LGBTQ patients, but who are educated and eager to see you get healthy. Find one.
While many providers don’t get much training in working with LGBTQ patients, there is quite a lot of information out there about the particular issues faced by LGBTQ people and ways to make your practice more culturally competent, comfortable, and affirming.
The information listed below will get you started. Check out our Research page for more Missouri specific information. And, when you’re ready, we invite you to join the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association’s Safe Provider List, to establish yourself as a committed partner in achieving better health outcomes and better lives for LGBTQ people.