Heart Disease, HIV/AIDS & Fitness Top National Priorities.

According to national survey results released today by Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive, when asked to identify (from among 22 current health issues) which they feel should be the nation’s top three health care priorities, a majority of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) adults indicate that HIV/AIDS (50%) should be a top health care priority followed by fitness-nutrition-exercise (36%) and heart disease (34%).

Among heterosexual adults surveyed, four out of ten (42%) believe that heart disease should be a top national health care priority, followed by 33% who select HIV/AIDS and 30% who rank obesity as a top priority. Nearly equal proportions of GLBT and heterosexual adults (30% and 31% respectively) indicated that obesity should be a top national health care priority as well.

Responses to this question, overall, mark a shift from last year for the top three health priorities for GLBT respondents. Last year, GLBT respondents cited heart disease as their second and obesity as their third choice for the nation’s top health priorities. This year fitness-nutrition-exercise edged out heart disease as the second health priority.

Overwhelmingly, GLBT adults (87%) say it is important for the National Institutes for Health (NIH) to conduct research on the health issues of lesbians and gays, and when asked that same question, well over half of heterosexual adults (57%) agreed.

These are highlights of a nationwide Witeck-Combs Communications/Harris Interactive study of 2,204 adults, of whom about six percent (6%) self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT). The survey was conducted online between February 16 and 20, 2004 by Harris Interactive, a worldwide market research and consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the GLBT market.

“Recent medical news reports about obesity becoming our nation’s number one killer may have influenced both GLBT and heterosexual responders to our health care priorities question this year,” said Colleen Dermody, vice president for Witeck-Combs Communications.

“It is interesting that both heterosexual and GLBT Americans rate HIV/AIDS and heart disease as two of their top three health care priorities,” continued Dermody. “As the national debate over gay marriage continues to dominate headlines and percolate as a hot topic among heterosexual and GLBT Americans, there seems to be little debate over our nation’s health care priorities.”

Some key findings from this survey include:

Nearly one-third of GLBT adults (31%) mentioned obesity as a top health care priority.

Nearly a quarter (22%) of heterosexual adults indicated that substance/drug use should be a top health care priority, compared to 12% of GLBT adults.

For 21% of heterosexual adults and19% of GLBT adults, breast cancer is a top health care priority.
Last year nearly one out of four (24%) GLBT adults said they had deliberately withheld information about their sexual practices from their doctor or other health care professional. This year the number who had withheld information went down to 21%. In that same question asked of heterosexual adults, the numbers were 5% in 2003 and 6% in 2004.

“We know that heart disease is a leading killer of women in the United States, and lesbians may be at even greater risk than heterosexuals,” said Kathleen DeBold, executive director of The Mautner Project for Lesbian Health. “Common risk factors for heart disease among all women – including obesity and smoking – are even more prevalent in the lesbian community.”

“The fact that LGBT people acknowledge that they withhold information that may help their doctors provide better quality medical treatment is a serious – and potentially life-threatening – problem,” continued DeBold. “Eliminating the barriers to open communication between health care providers and their LGBT patients is essential to reducing mortality and morbidity among this medically underserved community,” said DeBold.

“An overwhelming majority of people who responded to this survey feels that the National Institutes for Health should conduct research on the health issues of lesbians and gays,” said Donald Hitchcock, national field director for National Coalition for LGBT Health. “As the body of evidence grows about health disparities experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, so too will the call for more research.”

Notes on reading tables:

GLBT refers to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. The percentage of respondents has been included for each item. An asterisk (*) signifies a value of less than one-half percent. A dash represents a value of zero. Percentages may not always add up to 100% because of computer rounding or the acceptance of multiple answers from respondents answering that question.

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