“They” Makes Word of the Year – #LGBTWellness Roundup

Each week LGBT HealthLink, a Program of CenterLink, and researcher and blogger Corey Prachniak-Rincón bring you a round-up of some of the biggest LGBTQ wellness stories from the past week.

Now you can HEAR your Weekly Wellness Roundup, too! Listen to our weekly podcast here: https://apple.co/2lzs5Ti or where ever you podcast. 

Young Queer Men Lack Health Access

A new study found that adolescent sexual minority men largely perceived themselves to have only low-to-moderate healthcare access. Only 29.2% reported that their provider had asked about their sexual orientation, while a slim 15.6% had spoken to a provider about using condoms with male partners. Younger adolescents, those in rural areas, and those in the South reported even higher barriers than others.

“They” Makes Word of the Year

ABC News reported that “they” was named the Word of the Year by publisher Merriam-Webster, in recognition of the fact that more and more people are using it as a pronoun alternative to “he” or “she.” They say that searches were up 313% percent for the pronoun from last year. Advocates said broader recognition of nonbinary pronouns is key for the wellbeing of those who use them.

Advocates Warn on Ads

Washington Blade reported on a call issued by LGBT health and HIV advocates warning about Facebook ads that may mislead people on PrEP. They say that the HIV prevention treatment is being misrepresented as unsafe by law firms seeking to sue drug companies – and that it may prevent LGBT and other folks for starting treatment despite standing to benefit.

Unpacking Substance Use Disparities

Researchers found that among sexual and gender minority adolescents, those who were assigned male at birth had higher prevalence of substance use than did those assigned female at birth. They also found that transgender adolescents reported substance use at a higher rate than their cisgender peers, suggesting a need to look within subgroups of the LGBT population to address substance use issues.

Supporting Friends with Substance Use Issues

On the subject of substance use, Queerty explored how LGBT folks can support friends with substance use issues. While every person is different, some tips include: do not try to lecture the other person; offer to spend non-judgmental time with them; and try asking them about what issues they may be avoiding resolving through healthier means.

Human Rights and HIV

UNAIDS marked Human Rights Day by discussing how human rights are essential to ending the HIV epidemic worldwide. They note that the virus has disproportionately impacted those whose rights are often violated or suppressed – including LGBT people and others – and that the marginalization of these populations makes it difficult to address their health needs.