Disclosing sexual preference to doctors?

[DeadRussianSpaceMonkey]

I know that this topic has been discussed before in the past, but their was no cited resources to go along with some of the opinions shared. So, I'm still not sure if I made the wrong decision when my doctor asked what my sexual preference was- I responded asking if the question was relevant, and ideally got a glance at while note taking was being done. If should could have explained why this was relevant or even why she thought i might be- I wouldn't have had an issue disclosing. This doctor ideally ended up wasting 3 weeks on a 3-4 month issue that i've been having because she didn't feel the need to tell me that she was unable to help me.


Anyways, My friend stated that I was absolutely wrong for doing this, that it helps identify many more possibilities. That gay men are at higher risk for more disease's. That my doctor avoided answering the question because she didn't want to insult me by saying so. && I am not sure if this is true or not, and I'd like to know.

So, what are the pro's and con's of sharing such information? Is it something counterproductive to do when your health is being questioned. What do doctors do with this information?

Also, how does one search out a gay friendly doctor?

Thanks.

 

[kineticpsi]

Your friend is correct. Physicians will check the anus and rectum for STIs while they would not nececessarily do this with straight men. Also, gay men are at a higher risk for certain diseases, such as Hepatitis. Knowledge of your preference only helps them to provide you with better care.

Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals might worry about depression and suicide which is more common in the LGBT community. They may also ask about social disorders that could result from living a closeted life, and may be one of the few people you can comfortably speak to. Remember that they must hold everything you say in confidence.

Finding professionals that are caring and accepting may be difficult. I have found more women to be accepting in my area but I am sure this differs. If your area has a gay publication some physicians will advertise their services. Online web searches may help if they list LGBT friendly. Health Clinics are generally accepting or can provide you with specific physicians in your area.. Also, you can contact a resource center or LGBT Community Center.

 

[swerve]

I'm SURE that when you responded to her SIMPLE question with "why is it relevant?" -- that she wrote down -- GAY!!!

No harm done...

 

[maxpowr9]

If you have any sexual concerns then I would say yes. If not, there is no real need to.

 

[onetwothreefour]

Asking your preference or an identity is an irrelevant question. Asking about your sexual behavior could be relevant. I guess it depends on what type of doctor this was and why you were seeking her care. She should have explained to you why she was asking for the information and she should have asked for as little information as was necessary unless you wanted to volunteer the information. It doesn't make sense to ask sexual preference (some people find that term offensive to begin with) because there is a portion of men who identify as straight who have sex with other men. That's what she should have been asking about--assuming it was relevant to the reason you were seeing her.

Why was she ultimately unable to help you? I hope she wasn't weeding you out with that question.

 

[mbamike]

My GP asked a similar question to me last week. I was in for my bi-annual check-up. I requested an HIV test. He went through a long list of questions as to why I needed such a test including "Are you having homosexual sex?" I did not feel comfortable in disclosing to him I was, but ended up cutting him off by stating "I have multiple sex partners."

He typed the information into his computer. Then told me he had to justify the test. He recommended I get the Hepatitis vaccination also which he scheduled. I got the HIV test and another one scheduled in six months.

So, maybe her questions were to justify a test.

 

[KaraBulut]

So, what are the pro's and con's of sharing such information? Is it something counterproductive to do when your health is being questioned. What do doctors do with this information?

Also, how does one search out a gay friendly doctor?

A provider who asks about sexual orientation related to STD testing is either ill-informed or biased. It's not an appropriate question because it makes the assumption that gay people have one kind of sex and straight people have another.

Anal sex is the high risk activity and straight people have anal sex just like gay people do. Bareback anal sex with casual partners is much more common among straight people. One should expect that a healthcare professional is informed enough to know that HPV and HIV don't ask about sexual orientation when they infect people.

We care what you do. We don't care about the gender of who you're doing it with.

When patients request to be tested for HIV, the appropriate questions are:

1. Do you care if your insurance company or employer were to know the results? If you answer "yes" to this question, you should be given the option of paying cash for the test and not having the results in your medical record.
2. Have you had a high risk exposure recently? If you answer "yes" to this question, you should be offered a test that is more likely to show a positive result for a person who has had a recent exposure (the test for more recent exposures costs 5-10 times more than the conventional antibody test).
3. Are you practicing safer sex with your partners? Are you in a high risk category- such as having multiple partners or using IV drugs? (This question is intended to address standard risk-mitigation counseling).

 

[Scottyboi]

You should always tell your doctor about your sexual orientation and give full disclosure on your sex life (and any prescription or nonprescription drugs you may be taking during sex).

You'd be surprised how many Doctors are gay anyways. Odds are your doctor knows someone in their personal life who is even if they aren't themselves.

And if you feel your doctor is not performing adequately due to some form of sexual orientation discrimination you *always* have the option of leaving for another Dcotor

 

[healingduck]

In my opinion, if you are willing to trust your doctor with your health, you should disclose any information they ask for. I don't believe they would ask if it wasn't relevant in some way.

 

[NineOfClubs]

Holy shit, it's your doctor and your health, just be honest.

Tell him/her you're a homo, it's relevant information.

 

[jason1977]

You really need to be 100% open with your doctor, therapist, etc. They are there for YOUR health and you need to be honest and fully open with them. This includes even telling them things that they may not even think to ask because of their own inexperience or lack of knowledge about your own life and experiences. Just blurt it all out.

If you think that they're not giving you the best care (or you don't trust them for some reason) - find another doctor.

Like it has been said, your doctor needs to know all about you and it doesn't help you if they only know 50% about you. Imagine taking your child to the doctor and you only tell them 50% of the information that they need to know. It's not a good thing.

Keep in mind, an increasing number of doctors are having patients that profess their LGBT status. So, it's not so shocking for most doctors anymore, especially as doctors are needing to be more knowledgable on this topic. Some doctors even have gay family members. So, it's not like they're completely out-to-lunch on the topic.