THE CDC supports my claim. Take it up with them.
No, they support mine.
Want to bet?
Members of the LGBT community are at increased risk for a number of health threats when compared to their heterosexual peers [1-5].
1.Mayer KH, Bradford JB, Makadon HJ, et al. Sexual and gender minority health: What we know and what needs to be done. American Journal of Public Health. 2008:98; 989-995.
2.Wolitski, RJ, Stall, R Valdiserri, RO. Eds. Unequal Opportunity: Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.
3.Clements NK, Marx R, Guzman R, Katz M. HIV prevalence, risk behaviors, health care use, and mental health status of transgender persons: implications for public health interventions. American Journal of Public Health. 2001;91:915-921.
4.Meyer IL, Northridge ME. Eds. The Health of Sexual Minorities: Public Health Perspectives on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Populations. New York: Springer. 2007.
5.Solarz, AL. Ed. Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and Directions for the Future. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1999.
CDC: Homosexual men account for 61% of new HIV infections but only 2% of population
CDC Facts and Statistics
From the March 10, 2010 CDC press release:
A data analysis released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscores the disproportionate impact of HIV and syphilis among gay and bisexual men in the United States.
The data, presented at CDCÂ’s 2010 National STD Prevention Conference, finds that the rate of new HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM) is more than 44 times that of other men and more than 40 times that of women.
The range was 522-989 cases of new HIV diagnoses per 100,000 MSM vs. 12 per 100,000 other men and 13 per 100,000 women.
The rate of primary and secondary syphilis among MSM is more than 46 times that of other men and more than 71 times that of women, the analysis says. The range was 91-173 cases per 100,000 MSM vs. 2 per 100,000 other men and 1 per 100,000 women.
While CDC data have shown for several years that gay and bisexual men make up the majority of new HIV and new syphilis infections, CDC has estimated the rates of these diseases for the first time based on new estimates of the size of the U.S. population of MSM. Because disease rates account for differences in the size of populations being compared, rates provide a reliable method for assessing health disparities between populations.
“While the heavy toll of HIV and syphilis among gay and bisexual men has been long recognized, this analysis shows just how stark the health disparities are between this and other populations,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “It is clear that we will not be able to stop the U.S. HIV epidemic until every affected community, along with health officials nationwide, prioritize the needs of gay and bisexual men with HIV prevention efforts.”
There is a misconception among health care providers and women themselves that lesbian and bisexual women have little or no risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STD). This myth is fueled by the lack of reliable studies of STD transmission in these communities.
In fact, the risk of STD transmission between women varies significantly depending on the STD. Herpes, HPV (genital wart virus), and bacterial vaginosis are transmitted fairly easily between women during sex. HIV, hepatitis B, gonorrhea, and chlamydia are much less likely to be transmitted--the risk is low but it is still possible.
The majority of lesbian and bisexual women have (or have had) sex with men, and all STDs are easily transmitted from men to women during intercourse. Often STD do not have symptoms, so it is possible for a woman to have become infected years ago and to still harbor the infection.