Training

1) Junior doctors, medical students and other student health practitioners to receive

mandatory training in LGBT issues.

2) All healthcare staff who have contact with patients to receive training on the

specific needs of LGB & T patients.

3) All healthcare professionals to receive training about LGBT families, partner rights

and LGBT parenting rights.

Information

4) More and better sexual health information and resources for women who sleep with

women, and the offer of smear tests to all people with cervixes,

regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Research

5) Research to be carried out into LGBT people’s experience of domestic violence.

6) Research to be carried out into trans people’s experiences of and needs within the

healthcare system in the UK.

7) Review of treatment protocol for trans people under the age of 18.

Funding

8) An end to the postcode lottery of access to gender reassignment services.

9) Funding for HIV prevention services for gay and bisexual men

to reflect the rising rates of diagnoses amongst gay and

bisexual men.

10) The Government to invest in public health campaigns that

raise awareness of the extent of undiagnosed HIV infection.

The healthcare system in the UK isn’t delivering for LGBT people. It often

ignores our needs, devalues our experiences or explicitly discriminates against

us. Access to appropriate healthcare is near enough impossible for some.

NUS LGBT, along with the organisations listed, call for:

Training

1) Currently there are no guidelines from the General Medical Council on what junior doctorsshould be taught in regards to sexual orientation and gender identity issues.2) Training on LGBT issues should be mandatory for a range of healthcare staff who have contact withpatients, and specific to their roles, including GUM clinic staff, practice nurses, receptionists etc.3) Only one in 10 lesbian and bisexual women felt that their partner was welcomed during aconsultation with health care professionals (Stonewall, 2008). Information

4) More and better sexual health information and resources for women who sleep with women,and the offer of smear tests to all people with cervixes, regardless of sexual orientation orgender identity.

Research

5) Evidence suggests that domestic violence is as much an issue for LGBT people as non LGBTpeople. 1 in 4 lesbian and bisexual women have experienced domestic violence where theperpetrator was another woman (Stonewall, 2008); there is no research into the experiences ofyoung LGBT people and domestic violence.6) Current research looks only at the experience of trans people in relation to genderreassignment; and even this is insufficiently through. Our experience suggests that many transpeople do not register with a GP or use sexual health services for fear of discrimination. Oncewe have started to gather this information, we can start to know what trans people really wantand need.

7) Currently, except in rare cases, transsexual people under the age of 18 are unable to accessgender reassignment. There is only one gender clinic in the UK who will even considermedically treating those aged 16–18. Medical treatment of trans young people is legitimatepractice in several other countries.Funding

8) Access to appropriate treatment is often determined on where you live and how muchfunding/specialist services are in your area. Healthcare (for trans people) who transitionedwithin the last 3 years is very similar now to the level of service for those who transitioned threeyears ago (Press For Change, 2007).9) The number of gay and bisexual men diagnosed with HIV in the UK is at its highest rate sincethe beginning of the epidemic, rising by 20% in the past five years (Health ProtectionAgency, 2007). 10) “The Health Protection Agency estimate up to 10,000 gay men in Britainhave HIV without knowing. Many gay men are still beingdiagnosed late, at the point where they should alreadybe on treatment, which brings a much higher likelihood ofserious illness and premature death” (THT, 2009).