If you go to A-Z topics on a site like webmd.com or medicinenet.com, there is no mention of homosexuality, transgender, etc. As the sites contain much information on non-disease conditions (e.g. webmd has a 3-page article on virginity), any [educated] guesses why the omission? (religious backing?) (I've tried searching Google, but didn't see anything interesting.)

purpletomato (imported) wrote: Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:00 am If you go to A-Z topics on a site like webmd.com or medicinenet.com, there is no mention of homosexuality, transgender, etc. As the sites contain much information on non-disease conditions (e.g. webmd has a 3-page article on virginity), any [educated] guesses why the omission? (religious backing?) (I've tried searching Google, but didn't see anything interesting.)

1. Homophobia

2. Don't Know

3. Don't want to know

4. Religion

5. Want to ensure positive information doesn't fall into the hands of children or teenagers

6. Can't imagine how it would connect to health issues

7. Would give the appearance they approve or accept

Rusty, you forgot a very important one - Why do they need to make a distinction in health care on most issue between straight and gay people? A heart condition is a heart condition regardless of if you are straight or gay.

Now should they have something general like Homosexuals are attracted to members of the same sex, and heterosexuals are attracted to opposite sex? Perhaps. But overall it doesn't matter if you're gay or straight on most of the issues.

--LT

RustyDai (imported) wrote: Sun Mar 11, 2012 9:06 am 1. Homophobia

2. Don't Know

3. Don't want to know

4. Religion

5. Want to ensure positive information doesn't fall into the hands of children or teenagers

6. Can't imagine how it would connect to health issues

7. Would give the appearance they approve or accept

I'd hazard a guess to say that homosexuality is not a health issue, and to be fair, while transition might be, transgenderism itself isn't either. Not sure if "health" and "medical" can be use interchangably.

Homosexuality is not a mental disorder or any kind of disorder for that matter. Transgender is an umbrella term that covers anyone that is gender nonconforming, some of which may be considered mental health, others that are not. If one dresses up in the clothes of the opposite sex, that does not mean one has a mental disorder. If one dresses up, but it causes no distress, then it's not a mental illness. And when I say distress, I don't mean distress caused by others disapproving, I mean when one is distressed by the behavior itself or if for instance you were missing work to dress up. Now if you look up transsexual, you will find some things. It is sometimes called "gender dysphoria" but more commonly "gender identity disorder" or "GID".

Again, GID is not actually a mental illness in my opinion, like homosexuality, it describes how a person is, not what is wrong with them. However, the DSM-IV, the Diagnostics Service Manual, does not agree with me.

http://www.genderpsychology.org/transsexual/dsm_iv.html

Diagnostic Features

There are two components of Gender Identity Disorder, both of which must be present to make the diagnosis. Thee must be evidence of a strong and persistent gross-gender identification, which is the desire to be, or the insistence that one is of the other sex (Criteria A). This cross-gender identification must not merely be a desire for any perceived cultural advantages of being the other sex. there must also be evidence of persistent discomfort about one’s assigned sex or a sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex (Criteria B). The diagnosis is not made if the individual has a concurrent physical intersex condition (e.g., androgen insensitivity syndrome or congenital adrenal hyperplasia) (Criteria C). To make the diagnosis, there must be evidence of clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (Criteria D).

Hope that helps.

Elizabeth

Before you start jumping to a hate rant, I have to ask---

Are terms like heterosexual and straight actually included on these health sites?

the_blacklist (imported) wrote: Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:49 am Before you start jumping to a hate rant, I have to ask---

Are terms like heterosexual and straight actually included on these health sites?

I'm the person who first said that medically, sexual orientation does not matter for 99% of health issues and tried to leave the comment neutral. Just because a homosexual like myself states that orientation doesn't matter, doesn't mean a straight person like yourself should see anymore into it than I'm saying that orientation issues do not matter.

It's not a hate rant. It's simply stating the fact that for nearly all medical issues, sexual orientation doesn't matter.

--LT

One's sexuality / gender often plays a large role in mental health. That homosexuality is not a disorder, is obvious, and not what I was getting at (one point of bringing up the "virginity" article example).

I see your point. I wonder if you see mine, #6?

I have to wonder if coming out to my doctors and nurses would have changed the way they handled my cancer treatments. Would they have been better? Would they have been sub-par?

I am left with a problem I believe is from the radiation treatments. I tried to discuss this with my primary care oncologist who told me flat out my problem was the result of hypertension and closed the subject. If that were true, the problem would have been there before the radiation treatment. I weighed a great deal more then and my blood pressure was much higher. He didn't even let me explain the change in size of my testicles, they are radically smaller now and erections are almost non-existent.

Losethem (imported) wrote: Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:30 pm Rusty, you forgot a very important one - Why do they need to make a distinction in health care on most issue between straight and gay people? A heart condition is a heart condition regardless of if you are straight or gay.

Now should they have something general like Homosexuals are attracted to members of the same sex, and heterosexuals are attracted to opposite sex? Perhaps. But overall it doesn't matter if you're gay or straight on most of the issues.

--LT

Also, I am grateful to have no evidence of the cancer on the last PET/CT scans, blood tests and a colonoscopy. However, another part of my life is missing. I've turned down 4 men that wanted to be more than friends. I am now more than hesitant to go to a doctor for help. So I guess that is #8.