25.04.12
Gay and bisexual men ‘failed’ by health services
The NHS is ‘failing’ gay and bisexual men, a Stonewall survey suggests. This demographic are more likely to suffer self harm, attempt suicide and experience depression, but many health professionals focus disproportionately on their sexuality instead.
The survey, of 6,900 gay and bisexual men who had used NHS healthcare services in the last year, demonstrated that one third had had a negative experience related to their sexuality. A lack of trust could discourage men from accessing information, testing and other key health services, the charity has warned.
In the last year, 3% of gay men and 5% of bisexual men had tried to kill themselves compared with 0.4% of all men. Over the same period, 7% of gay and bisexual men had deliberately harmed themselves, compared with just 3% of all men.
A Department of Health spokesperson said lesbian, gay and bisexual people are prioritised in its mental health strategy because it recognises “they are at a higher risk of mental health problems, violence and self-harm”.
Nearly one third of those surveyed had never had a HIV test and 54% had never discussed HIV with a healthcare professional, despite early diagnosis being a public health priority.
“These figures raise grave concerns about the effectiveness with which hundreds of millions of pounds of public money have been spent on HIV awareness and prevention in recent years,” the report says.
Royal colleges should update their professional development programmes to include topics such as same-sex partner rights and the importance of not assuming sexual orientation, the report recommends. Policies explicitly protecting gay and bisexual people from discrimination should also be displayed at surgeries and hospitals.
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