Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and Directions for the Future

Abstract

Despite growing attention to research on women's health over the past decade, the health problems of some subgroups of women have continued to receive relatively little attention. Lesbians are one such subgroup. Although the body of research on lesbian health is growing, much of the research to date has methodological limitations, such as the lack of appropriate comparison groups, that make it difficult to draw clear conclusions about the health status and health risks of this group of women.The Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Lesbian Health Research Priorities was convened in July 1997 to: 1. assess the strength of the science base regarding the physical and mental health of lesbians, 2. review the methodological challenges involved in conducting research on lesbian health, and 3. suggest areas for research attention.The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also contributing funding through the NIH.A primary charge of the committee was to organize and convene an invitational workshop to examine these issues. The workshop, held in October 1997, focused on the challenges involved in designing and conducting research on lesbian health, some of the contextual issues that can make it more difficult to conduct such research, and lesbians' risk for particular health conditions including cancer, mental health problems, substance abuse, HIV infection, and sexually transmitted diseases. Lesbians' use of and access to health care services were also discussed.