Oral

Despite growing attention to women’s health research over the past several decades, the health issues of lesbians and bisexual women (a.k.a., sexual minority women) have received much less attention. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Lesbian Health Research Priorities released, Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and Directions for the Future, calling for more research regarding the health of lesbians in particular. Ten years after the IOM report just how far have we come with regard to sexual minority women's (SMW’s) health research? In what areas of health research are we doing more/better? In what areas are we still sorely lacking? Which subpopulations of SMW are being studied? Which are not (e.g., racial/ethnic populations, bisexual women, populations of different socioeconomic status)? What challenges and barriers exist in conducting SMW's health research, particularly with regard to accessing different subpopulations of SMW and measuring sexual orientation? This session will provide an overview of progress made in SMW's health research, as well as specific recommendations for future research and practice in SMW’s health.

Session Objectives: 1. Identify progress made and areas still lacking in SMW’s health research; 2. Describe measures of sexual orientation and methods of collecting health data regarding SMW’s health; and 3. Discuss the intersections of sex/gender, race, sexual identity, and socioeconomic status when exploring the health issues of Black lesbian and bisexual women.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)