According to a new report by One Colorado Education Fund, accessing quality health care is more difficult for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Coloradans than it is for others in the state. Here are the details of the 2011 study, which involved the participation of 1,300 LGBT individuals.
* According to the study, while LGBT health complaints in regard to affordability, access and quality were similar to those of heterosexual and non-transgendered people in the state, LGBT individuals also reported difficulty finding providers who were LGBT-friendly, and many have chosen to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity in order to ensure that they will be treated with respect by health care providers.
* Previous lesbian, gay and bisexual studies compiled by the Colorado Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System have shown that the number of lesbian and gay people who have been unemployed for more than a year is double that of heterosexual people. LGB respondents were twice as likely to be smokers and more likely to binge drink and to drink and drive. Lesbian and gay participants in the studies were more likely to have asthma. The One Colorado Education Fund LGBT Health Study reported that 4 in 10 participants reported feeling depressed and hopeless for several days or more in a two-week time frame.
* 31 percent of bisexual Coloradans who participated in the survey were living without health care coverage, the report stated, which is double the rate for heterosexuals and lesbian and gay persons. 21 percent of bisexual respondents are obese and participants identifying as bisexual were most likely to state in the survey that they felt like they were lacking emotional support.
* Less than half of LGBT participants in the One Colorado study felt that they have a sufficient choice of providers who are trained in, knowledgeable about and sensitive to LGBT issues. 21 percent reported health care workers in Colorado refusing services to LGBT people, and more than half felt they would be treated differently if their provider knew they were LGBT.
* 27 percent of Colorado transgender respondents are uninsured compared to 21 percent nationally, the report stated. 78 percent of transgender Coloradans have received counseling and 61 percent have received a gender-related mental health diagnosis. 61 percent of transgender respondents stated that gender identity or expression have stopped them from seeking services. 11 percent report traveling more than 100 miles to seek health care from a LGBT-friendly provider.
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