LGBTQ+ Empowerment

A Mediaplanet Guide to Celebrating Pride Month

JUNE 2022 | WWW.MODERNWELLNESSGUIDE.COM

LGBTQ+ Empowerment

Chris Olsen Read the exclusive Q&A with TikTok’s funniest LGBTQ+ advocate Learn how equality and inclusion is boosting big business

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Discover the truth behind four persistent HIV myths

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Incorporating LGBTQ+ Intersectionality In DEI Programs The COVID-19 virus hit vulnerable, intersectional communities especially hard. When businesses, large and small, stepped up to support them, we were reminded that we are in this fight together. While diverse and LGBTQ+-owned businesses power America, diversity powers our movement — and always has.

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entering the standard of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is nationally recognized as a best practice in business. Diversity refers to the level of differences in identity in a business setting, including race, sexual orientation or expression, abilities, and more. Equity ensures fair treatment of all individuals regardless of their identity, fixing systems to improve equal outcomes, and business opportunities for all. Inclusion refers to fostering a welcoming environment where employees are comfortable and feel a sense of belonging.

When companies practice DEI, they find that employees are happier, contribute their best work, and are more expressive of their needs. As DEI has spread, corporations have developed

employee resource groups (ERGs) and educational initiatives in order to ensure that they uphold DEI standards.

Companies also practice DEI externally through supplier diversity, by intentionally sourcing from diverse suppliers and removing barriers to contracting that marginalized individuals have historically encountered.

The problem is that the work often stops there.

DEI standards have not evolved enough to meet the world where it is, and they often fail to consider LGBTQ+-minded intersectionality in practice. Coined by civil rights advocate and scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, “intersectionality” refers to the interconnected way in which identities of disadvantaged groups overlap to create unique instances and experiences

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of oppression. As long as modern DEI standards continue to disregard the idea of intersectionality, LGBTQ+ employees and suppliers will be left in a tight spot, since the community is represented across each identity group. When that multifaceted identity is not considered through an intersectional lens, LGBTQ people find it difficult to be wholly themselves in the workplace.

Merely hosting a multitude of diverse identities in one place is not beneficial unless a deep understanding of those identities and their intersections is cultivated. We do not exist in a vacuum — centuries of war, oppression, discrimination, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia have occurred to present opportunities to certain groups of people and

tear them away from others. Although diversity in a business setting ensures that people of marginalized identities are granted a seat at the table, it does not guarantee that they’ll have their turn to speak.

So how can companies incorporate intersectionality into DEI standards?

The process begins with education.

Leaders must educate their team on the importance of intersectionality inside and outside of the workplace, emphasizing the multiplicity of struggles and discrimination that LGBTQ people with multiple marginalized identities experience.

The world changes every day, so why do DEI programs tend to take place once annually according to calendar “celebrations?” Reducing entire identities to one day of the year

is one of the biggest problems with current DEI practices. To incorporate intersectionality into DEI standards, companies must provide employees and stakeholders with consistent, relevant educational initiatives instead of merely ticking off one box each year.

Leaders must center the voices of LGBTQ+ individuals within their organizations. Allowing LGBTQ+ people to discuss their experiences when they are comfortable doing so provides everyone with a more multifaceted understanding of intersectionality.

Centering LGBTQ+ voices also allows the company to consciously collaborate with and provide resources to the LGBTQ+ community at large. n Justin Nelson, Chance Mitchell, and Sarah Jester, National LGBT Chamber of Commercce

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Publisher Jennifer Gilman, Charlotte Avery Business Developer Joelle Hernandez Managing Director Jordan Hernandez Lead Designer Kayla Mendez Designer Tiffany Jackson Lead Editor Jon Adams Copy Editor Kathleen Walsh Director of Content and Production Jordan Hernandez Cover Photo Max Montogomery All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve LA Times.

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Social Media Star Matt Bernstein On Taking Up Space This Pride Month

What does Pride Month mean to you?

I think Pride Month this year is about taking up space loudly and unapologetically. The past year has been devastating for our community — particularly for trans people and LGBTQ youth. The conservative right has strengthened their apparatus to hurt us, and they’re accelerating at an alarming rate. This isn’t a “culture war;” it’s about our right to exist, be ourselves, and be left alone. This month, and every month, we’re going to remind you that we aren’t going anywhere, no matter what Fox News has to say about it.

What is an issue that LGBTQ+ community is facing that many people may not know about?

So much attention is placed on coming out, and rightfully so, but I don’t think enough people discuss life for LGBTQ+ adults and the work that needs to be done in that realm. Mental illness that occurs from discrimination and childhood trauma, drug use, HIV stigma, the list goes on. I want more people, especially outside of the community, to understand that the

complexities of being LGBTQ+ does not end with coming out.

the world, ready to embrace you as you are.

What do you think people can do this Pride Month to raise awareness about important issues that impact the global LGBTQ+ community?

What are some strategies organizations can follow to promote positive and healthy environment for colleagues who are LGBTQ+?

We’re experiencing a moment where conservatives are feeling particularly emboldened to express their homophobia and transphobia on some of the world’s largest stages.

Our community needs allies to not be afraid to speak up. I know it’s not always easy. I know people get scared of being judged. But if you’re an ally in this position, now you know what it feels like to experience a fraction of the fear and bravery involved in waking up as an LGBTQ+ person every day. If you hear something antiLGBTQ+, say something. Take a stand.

One of the most difficult challenges for LGBTQ+ youth is the question of family acceptance. What message would you give to those who are looking for the courage to come out to their families?

I never think anyone should feel like they must come out within a certain time frame. Do what feels safe to you. And while it may never be a completely comfortable process, you’ll know when you’re ready. Cliché though it is, there is a queer family — a chosen family — waiting for you in

Respecting pronouns is great. Equal pay and protection from harassment are also great. Talk to LGBTQ+ employees about how their needs can be met instead of assuming you already know.

What active role should companies play when offensive comments occur?

I’m going to answer this in the context of “offensive comments” online: Social media platforms need to do a wildly better job at creating community guidelines that actually protect the most vulnerable communities on their apps. Because of the way policies are enforced through AI, guidelines that are meant to protect users end up disproportionately hurting marginalized groups. Content from women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, fat people, disabled people, etc. are often censored and threatened with punitive action for discussing our experiences which may be considered “inappropriate.” When companies create “community guidelines,” which communities are they trying to protect? n

PHOTO: MATT BERNSTEIN

The LGBTQ+ influencer talks stigma, mental health, social media, and politics in this unfiltered Q&A session.

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LGBTQ+ Equality & Inclusion Is Good for Business In recent years, many corporations in the United States have made significant strides in promoting equality and inclusion in the workplace. These strides – from providing inclusive partner and spousal benefits to benefits that cover gender affirming care – not only create a more welcoming workplace for their LGBTQ+ employees, but also make good business sense.

LGBTQ+ workers who are in companies with LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and culture report higher productivity and job satisfaction, lower turnover and attrition, and increased innovation, collaboration, and connections with their co-workers. With an estimated 7.1% of U.S. adults self-identifying as lesbian,

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gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual, creating LGBTQ+ workplace inclusivity in real and impactful ways must be a priority for every employer.

Since 1998, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) has collaborated with thousands of companies representing tens of millions of U.S.-based employees. This work culminated in the HRC Foundation’s annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a tool to assess LGBTQ+ inclusive employment policies, practices, and benefits. From the first edition to the most recent in 2022, the ever-evolving considerations on the road to inclusion have been continuously expanded to promote equality and inclusion for all LGBTQ+ people.

The inaugural edition of the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) included 319

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participants, with 13 companies achieving top scores. The 20th-anniversary edition of the CEI now includes over 1,200 participants and more than 800 top scorers. This underscores that over a two-decade time period, not only has the number of companies interested in LGBTQ+ equality rapidly increased, but so has the number of businesses that have overhauled their internal policies and practices to be more equitable and inclusive.

At its core, the CEI builds a foundation upon which employees can safely and authentically show up at work. That’s why it has been and remains a critically valuable tool.

However, the CEI is just one tool to measure and promote LGBTQ+ equality. Though it has been extremely impactful, it is also limited in its scope.

Diversity and inclusion policies and practices advanced through tools like the CEI are critical and necessary, but alone they are insufficient to achieve full equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. Meaningful change requires breathing life into these policies and practices in real and tangible ways to reduce stigma and to improve the day-to-day lived reality of LGBTQ+ workers.

It also means ensuring companies speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ public policy efforts, which impact employees in significant ways. It means joining amicus briefs in support of litigation that fights to protect and expand LGBTQ+ rights; joining HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act; vocalizing opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation; and working publicly and behind-

the-scenes to beat back bad bills. It is creating cause marketing campaigns and bringing messages of equality and inclusion to customers across the country. And it’s ensuring the products they created are not uniquely harming the LGBTQ+ community.

Although the CEI is the country’s leading tool to measure LGBTQ+ equality, it only works with the dedication and buy-in of industry leaders and small corporations alike to prioritize the protection and inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. The Human Rights Campaign will continue the fight for equality so that every LGBTQ+ person, from the factory floor to the boardroom, can live their life authentically and show up for work as their true, full self. n Jay Brown, Senior Vice President of Programs, Human Rights Campaign

How One LGBTQ+ Couple Built Their Family What advice would you give to someone who is trying to choose between surrogacy, gestational carrier, or adoption?

The best advice we could give is to feel out all the options before deciding. We were open to every possibility when it came to building our family. We spoke with many agencies, fertility clinics, and families that went through fostering, adoption, gestational, and surrogacy.

That truly helped us pick our path. Also, understanding the law in each state and how you as a parent are protected might influence your path. For example, we live in North Carolina, so when we were looking into surrogacy, we realized by our state’s law that we would have more rights to our children if we used a gestation carrier instead of a surrogate. On another note, everyone’s path is different. There is no right or wrong way when deciding how to grow your family. At the end of the day, that choice should be personal, and as a community, we should respect that choice made by these parents.

How did the family planning benefits offered by Burton’s job help the process of creating your family, and why are these benefits so important for companies to offer their employees?

In going through the surrogacy process, Burton was surprised to learn that his corporate job offered its employees an adoption and surrogacy assistance plan. Through this plan, they provided our family financial assistance towards expenses incurred in the attempt to

either adopt or have a child through surrogacy. The plan covered surrogacy agency fees, legal fees, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and even medical and hospital expenses for the birth mother and the newborn. Benefits like this are extremely important. They are inclusive, for one. In addition, they help alleviate some of the financial burdens, creating a happier, more productive workforce. Our advice is to check with your company’s HR department before starting your journey; you may be surprised — we were!

What advice would you give to someone who is looking to start a family through a gestational carrier?

Our biggest advice is to be patient and show yourself some grace. First, you have to find an egg donor that feels right. Then you have to interview many gestational carriers. This angel in human form will be carrying your child — or in our case, children — so that relationship needs to feel right. There has to be a high level of trust and communication and an understanding of boundaries you both need to feel good about.

Science is beautiful, but the process isn’t always perfect, so know you may have bumps in the road, just like any pregnancy. And you are dealing with way more people: Doctors, lawers, egg donors, gestation carrier, you, and your partner. They say it takes a village to raise a kid, but it takes a village to make a baby in this scenario. So be prepared ahead of time, knowing that it may not be a seamless process.

What advice would you give to people who are struggling with the finances of surrogacy or gestational carrying?

It is an expensive process, but there are ways to find options you feel comfort-

PHOTO:BRANDIE BAIRD

YouTuber dads Dustin Smith and Burton Buffaloe open up about the ins and outs of LGBTQ+ family planning.

able with financially. One example, an agency in a larger city like New York or LA may cost you more money than an agency in North Carolina. The benefit of an agency is that they will do much more hand-holding for you as you go through this, but you will pay for that service. We personally did not use an agency. We went through a fertility clinic that focuses mainly on IVF, but they also have a service for egg donors or women who have come to them saying they would be open to donating their eggs. They also had a list of willing gestational carriers, but it was up to us

to vet them. We had to interview dozens of them; we had to find a psychiatrist to conduct a psych evaluation; we had to find a lawyer to help us with the contracts and figure out the payment for our gestational carrier. But by us doing most of this work, it saved us a ton of money. In addition, there are financing options out there. Do your research to find a loan agency that fits your goals.

What is your favorite part of fatherhood?

Both Burton and I never imagined, as

young gay boys, that this could be a possibility. I think most gay people our age or older have a small piece of them that is still in disbelief of how far we have come as a community. We are both so proud to be fathers. It is a gift, and there isn’t a day that we don’t honor that realization. And to be in a place where we don’t exclusively live for ourselves, but we live to pour our heart and soul into these precious kids is the most beautiful experience of our lives. Fatherhood is a love that cannot be described in words, and to do it with a husband you love makes it that much more precious. n MEDIAPLANET

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How Chris Olsen Is Celebrating Pride This June The LGBTQ+ actor and star of The Book of Queer on Discovery+ gets candid about Pride Month, mental health, and being and advocate for the community.

One of the most difficult challenges for LGBTQ+ youth is the question of family acceptance. What message would you give to those who are looking for the courage to come out to their families?

What does Pride Month mean to you?

One of the most beautiful things about pride is being able to celebrate your identity with your chosen family.

Regardless of whether our blood relatives are able to accept us or not, once you find that chosen family, which you will, you will always be affirmed that there is space for you in this world.

Pride Month is finding community in the ability to live truthfully as yourself.

It’s so beautiful to watch queer communities come together during this time in a multitude of different ways, which is also the beauty of pride: it means something different for each and every one of us.

What is an issue that LGBTQ+ community is facing that many people may not know about?

Trans people, especially trans women of color, remain disproportionately unsafe in most areas in the country due to a government that does not protect them, and that needs to change through policy and having new advocates in office.

What do you think people can do this Pride Month to raise awareness about important issues that impact the global LGBTQ+ community?

PHOTO: MAX MONTGOMERY

Pride Month is not just about the parties, while that is a huge, beautiful part of pride. It is also about uplifting one another and helping bring awareness to the queer communities who are in need.

That can manifest in a multitude of ways, like using your social media platform to share resources to help different communities, donating to organizations that you believe in, or showing up for your queer friends who need it.

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You have been outspoken about mental health, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community. With depression and suicide rates on the rise within the community, what insight can you share from your own life on how to manage symptoms?

Take the scary step and get help.

One of the hardest, but best, things I went through in my life was having an intervention and getting sober. Even if addiction is not part of your story, getting help at that scale is extremely helpful to anyone who needs it. That could mean starting therapy, opening up to someone you trust about what’s going on with you, or finding a meeting where other people are sharing the same struggles you are. Whatever you are going through, you are never alone.

Why is advocating for mental health so important to you?

I know what it’s like to feel alone and feel like no one else is going through the exact same situation that I am, so I never want anyone else to feel that way. n

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Designing Health and Wellness Programs for LGBTQIA+ Employees Many in the LGBTQIA+ community have difficulty accessing mental health services.

Better benefits are a step toward a solution.

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ental health is more impor tant than ever: Nearly six in ten workers say stress and burnout is their top wellbeing concern at their place of employment. Workplace stress not only leads to lowered productivity and higher rates of absenteeism and employee turnover, it also has a human cost that can’t be quantified. And for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, a significant contributor to workplace stress remains discrimination: 36% reported experiencing workplace discrimination, and 46% reported keeping their identity confidential at the office.

This is why it’s paramount that access to mental health care is available to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. “Stigma and discrimination are often barriers to accessing care,” says Nyota Pieh, Ph.D., telemedicine lead psychiatrist and head of gender reaffirming assessment at Lyra Health, a leading provider

of innovative mental health benefits.

“When individuals do engage, they may encounter a provider or system that has not been trained to understand and support the unique needs of LGBTQ+ population—and many have also been simply denied care that is needed.”

Psychological safety Even the most robust roster of mental health benefits is useless if employees don’t feel comfortable accessing them.

Feelings of isolation and minimal social support combined with experiencing discrimination often lead to reluctance on the part of an LGBTQIA+ person to engage in mental health care.

That’s why it’s essential to give employees a sense of psychological safety when it comes to accessing mental health services. “It is important to create a safe and inclusive environment,” notes Dr. Pieh. “Programs need to be culturally responsive and ensure that providers who do this work are

trained to understand the sociocultural and historical context in which health disparities in this community exist.”

It’s important to note that bias isn’t always obvious. Implicit bias can negatively affect the way providers interact with LGBTQIA+ patients, which is why educating providers is essential.

Lyra Health offers training and education around LGBTQIA+ health to its providers to ensure the network is aligned along best practices for that community.

Finally, part of psychological safety is feeling heard. “There must also be opportunities for feedback and process improvement,” Pieh adds, “so that both programs and providers individually can continue to grow and improve where needed.”

Designing the program A wellness program that supports the mental health of LGBTQIA+ employees will have several key features built into its design:

• Give all employees the right to share their identity—or keep it private • A designated, accessible safe space • Prioritization of the message that they are in a safe environment • Culturally responsive care and a diverse provider network “Programs also need to be aware of how physical health and mental health impact each other,” Pieh notes. “At Lyra Health we strive to provide care that is affirming and supports diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) efforts.”

Part of that is a commitment to having a diverse group of providers that reflect the patients served—17% of Lyra Health’s network self-identify as LGBTQIA+. This helps create opportunities for members of this community to engage in care where they are fully seen and heard. “We provide services that not only address co-existing mental health conditions,” notes Pieh, “but also provide evaluations and referral

letters for individuals who are seeking gender-affirming surgery.”

A key aspect of a mental wellness program is that it be trauma-informed, which shifts the conversation from “what’s wrong with you” to “what happened to you,” engaging the individual to get a complete picture of their mental and physical health past and present.

At Lyra Health, 62% of their providers are trauma-informed.

Pieh and Lyra Health are committed to changing the current state of mental health services for LGBTQIA+ employees everywhere. “We aim to create opportunities for LGBTQIA+ individuals to engage in care where they are fully seen and heard,” Pieh says. n Jeff Somers

To learn more, please visit lyrahealth.com

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A New Day for HIV Some of us are old enough to remember when HIV carried with it a dire prognosis. A positive result was tantamount to a deep, existential concern for one’s own health and longevity, as well as for that of their partners. This fear struck deep in the LGBTQ+ community, with many gay men losing lovers and friends during the early years of the epidemic. The good news is that times have changed thanks to the development of safe, effective treatment and prevention options tailored to each person’s needs.

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lthough HIV still disproportionately affects members of the LGBTQ+ population, a person can live a long and productive life with HIV. In fact, even if you test positive for the virus, you can now be untransmittable to your partners. “Undetectable equals Untransmittable” or “U=U” is a concept borne of the past decade, backed by science, that says that if you are HIV-positive and on treatment and “virally suppressed” (no detectable virus in the blood after treatment), you cannot transmit HIV to any of your partners.

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What this means is that we want to treat each person seeking medical care as “HIV status-neutral.”

What do we mean when we say “HIV status-neutral?” It sounds a bit odd when we think about the stories and the movies and other representations of a patient waiting for their HIV test, with everything at stake in the result of that test, doesn’t it? But in reality, it means, in part, removing that fear and stigma around HIV when a patient sees their medical provider. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that everyone be tested for HIV, and that sexually

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transmitted infection (STI) checks and prevention become a routine part of a person’s medical care.

Regardless of the test result, we can prevent all new transmissions and ensure good health and quality of life for that patient and their partner or partners. You have likely heard about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) by now. But just to recap, it’s one pill a day or, alternatively, a monthly injection, to 99% guarantee that, so long as you take that medicine regularly and as-prescribed, you cannot contract the virus.

Maybe PrEP is right for you, or maybe

there are other HIV prevention methods you and your provider can discuss.

But either way, we can stop HIV. Coming back to “HIV status-neutral,” how does this all fit together?

Well, functionally, it means that when a person goes to see their medical provider they are tested for HIV, but the result is no longer an all-or-nothing proposition. If the test comes back positive, they discuss with their provider the right treatment for them, and start as soon as possible. Once viral suppression has occurred after taking treatments, that HIV infection stops

with them. Partners are protected and the individual health of that patient soars to a basically normal prognosis.

And if the test is negative, the patient talks with their provider about prevention options that may be right for them.

Maybe they start taking PrEP, at which point they would be totally protected from HIV. It’s great to know we have the clinical tools to stop HIV in its tracks. We just need to make sure people know about the options available. n Bruce Packett, Executive Director, American Academy of HIV Medicine

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New Campaign Aims to Reach People With HIV Not in Care

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a nation-wide campaign on June 18 designed to encourage people with HIV who are not currently in care to seek care, stay in care, and achieve viral suppression.

The campaign features the stories and experience of a diverse group of people who have been living with HIV and thriving as a result of viral suppression.

The United States is making progress toward ending the HIV epidemic, a key goal of the federal government. New infections have been steadily declining since the height of the epidemic in the mid-1980s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the majority of people with HIV were virally suppressed or undetectable — almost 57% in 2019.

However, a sizable minority of people with HIV are not in care or taking

medication that protects their health.

A person living with HIV who takes HIV medicine as prescribed and gets and stays virally suppressed can stay healthy and cannot sexually transmit HIV to HIV-negative partners.

Funded by HHS’ Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP), the “I am a Work of ART” campaign encourages people who are not in care or who have fallen out of care to seek HIV care. The campaign seeks to increase the number of people with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load through HIV medication — also known as antiretroviral therapy, or “ART.” If taken as directed, ART can reduce the amount of HIV in the blood to a very low level. This outcome is called viral suppression.

The campaign focuses on reaching people who live in areas where the viral suppression rates are lower than the national rate. These areas include Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas,

Joey says that he can live ‘a life focused on my dreams, not a diagnosis, a life that I use to advocate for others like me.’

Los Angeles, Miami, Tulsa, and Washington, DC. Increasing the number of people with HIV who are virally suppressed is a key strategy of the Federal Government’s Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

The “I am a Work of ART” campaign will feature a diverse group of community members with HIV who share their experiences of getting into HIV care, using ART, and living healthy lives.

Through their stories, the campaign encourages people with HIV who are not in regular care to seek a health care provider through the HIV Testing and Care Services locator on HIV.gov so they can achieve viral suppression.

One community member, Jasmine, is a transgender activist and a leader in Miami’s ballroom scene. Living with HIV for 16 years, Jasmine shares in the campaign that, when first diagnosed, her HIV status “nearly killed” her. But when she was able to start antiretroviral therapy,

she began to live “life loud — and proud — on our terms.” Another community member, Joey, has been living with HIV for six years. He was kicked out of his home at 13 when he came out to his family, and six years later, was diagnosed with HIV. But now that he is on ART, Joey says that he can live, “a life focused on my dreams, not a diagnosis, a life that I use to advocate for others like me.”

The “I am a Work of ART” campaign will launch in Miami on June 18, 2022, with an exhibit of the campaign artwork as well as a roundtable discussion with the community members featured in the campaign. The discussion will be facilitated by Harold Phillips, the Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP). Mr. Phillips, an out gay man living with HIV since 2005, began work as ONAP director in June 2021. n Timothy P. Harrison, PhD, Deputy Director for Strategic Initiatives & Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP)

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Getting LGBTQ+ the Healthcare They Need Studies indicate LGBTQ+ individuals delay care at alarming rates, due in part to negative experiences with their healthcare providers. Most clinicians want to help; too often don’t have the training or tools to ensure a welcoming and affirming healthcare experience for LGBTQ+ patients and their families, and don’t have a basic understanding of LGBTQ+ health.

Providers can start with simple steps, such as displaying LGBTQ+-oriented media, like: photos of same-sex couples, in waiting rooms; ensuring intake forms and medical records include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity and options to designate a domestic partner; and asking clients what pronouns they use. These indicators can help patients begin to understand their providers are proactively on their side.

These efforts must be backed up with comprehensive training for providers and their staff. Clinicians must make the additional effort to undergo continuing education in healthcare concern, specifically impacting LGBTQ+ populations. These can include increased depression, suicidality, substance use, psychological distress, elevated stress hormone levels, and higher risk factors for certain forms of cancer and cardiovascular disease, often caused by societal discrimination.

LGBTQ+ patients can access GLMA’s “Top Ten Issues You Should Discuss with Your Healthcare Provider” fact sheets, identifying some of the most common health concerns for LGBTQ+ people.

With providers still learning about these issues, the fact sheets help LGBTQ+ patients take charge of their own health with information they can share with their healthcare providers.

Together, LGBTQ+ individuals and the healthcare community can make a difference. Most importantly, by taking some simple steps and committing to learn and do more, providers can make significant strides to improving the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people.

Our lives and health depend on it.

Nick Grant, PhD, ABPP, President & Hector Vargas, JD, Executive Director, GLMA

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HIV first entered the public consciousness in 1981. Four decades later, four persistent myths about HIV continue to hamper ending the epidemic.

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There are some people who believe the HIV epidemic in the United States is already over.

While HIV does not garner the type of attention it did in the early days, there are more than 1.2 million people living with HIV and roughly 35,000 new HIV diagnoses each year.

4 HIV Myths That Need to Go

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There are some who believe that an HIV diagnosis is a death sentence. That might have been true for many in the early days of the epidemic, but today, with treatment, HIV is a manageable chronic illness.

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Some people believe that only gay men are at risk for HIV. The earliest described cases were among gay men, and gay men living with HIV are disproportionately represented in the epidemic, but nearly 1 in 4 people living with HIV is straight.

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Some people think there is nothing that can be done to end the epidemic. The HIV epidemic has lasted far too long, and we’ve lost far too many friends and loved ones. However, we have all the tools needed to end the HIV epidemic right now.

AIDS United, in partnership with the Act Now: End AIDS Coalition, and with the support of more than 250 HIV and community-based organizations, created a road map to ending the HIV epidemic. The road map lays out a path to getting 95% of people living with HIV a diagnosis, appropriate treatment, and eventually an undetectable viral load — the point at which there is so little virus in a person’s blood it doesn’t show up in lab tests.

In order to achieve these goals, we need to increase testing, prevention, and treatment.

HIV testing should be a part of routine health screenings. Medical providers should be testing

everyone who is sexually active for HIV, regardless of a person’s gender or the gender of their sexual partners. Even if there is not a high likelihood of contracting the virus, this will help to identify early many infections that would have gone undetected. Routine testing also helps to reduce stigma.

We also need to expand evidence-based HIV prevention strategies. Again, medical providers should talk with their sexually active patients about prevention strategies, and consider preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medicine that prevents HIV. There are now three options for PrEP,

including a long-acting injectable version. We need to support and expand syringe services programs. We also need to spread the word far and wide that once someone reaches an undetectable viral load, they cannot sexually transmit the virus to anyone. This is what is meant by undetectable equals untransmittable, or U=U. Treatment is not only an effective prevention strategy. A person who reaches an undetectable status can live a long and healthy life. There are several federal projects that are a vital part of treatment and care, such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS and the Housing

Opportunities for Persons With AIDS programs. About 40% of people living with HIV have health insurance through Medicaid, so preserving, strengthening and expanding Medicaid, both federally and in each state, is also a critical aspect of HIV treatment and care.

Despite these persistent myths, HIV is still with us, it is treatable and it does not discriminate. Together, by expanding testing, prevention, and treatment, we can end the HIV epidemic. n Carl Baloney Jr., Vice President & Chief Advocacy Officer, AIDS United

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