9781422275221

Introduction There is nothing fundamentally different about LGBTQ people, their bodies, or their brains. We’re all human. We all have to worry about our health. Everyone has to make sure that they eat healthy and exercise. All people have to look after their sexual and mental health, as well. But LGBTQ people do face unique challenges that can make their efforts to preserve their health more difficult. A large number of these problems are rooted in the discrimination, bullying, rejection, and violence that many LGBTQ people experience. These negative influences have a dramatic effect on a person’s mental health, which impacts many other aspects of a person and their health, including their general well-being and their sexual health. Most schools require some type of studies in the area of health. Many also require a program of sex education of some sort, although those programs can vary widely among different schools. This book does not intend to repeat the important things you will be learning in those classes. Instead, it seeks to fill in some of the holes that traditional health education leaves, because most of those classes exclude information that applies specifically to issues affecting LGBTQ people. This isn’t about special treatment. The difference in issues facing LGBTQ youth are quantifiable, meaning you can put numbers to them. Scientific research shows that LGBTQ people are at a heightened risk of mental illness due to the way they are still treated in our society, which will be discussed in Chapter 2. As a result of mental health challenges, they have higher rates of drug use, alcohol abuse, smoking, and other self-destructive behaviors, which will be discussed in Chapter 1. Chapter 3 goes into the unique sexual health issues LGBTQ people face, including higher rates of STIs (sexually transmitted infections); it also provides information that is generally left out of traditional sex ed classes. In Chapter 4, you will learn more about HIV/AIDS, including how the disease affects the body and the history of the AIDS crisis. LGBTQ people also face issues other people don’t in accessing health care that is sensitive to their unique needs,

8

Body and Mind • LGBTQ Health Issues