Characteristics and Correlates of Tobacco Use in a Community Sample of Sexual Minority Men and Women: Implications for Smoking Cessation Program Development.

Purpose: Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, death, and disability in the United States. Research suggests that sexual minorities have an increased risk for smoking and tobacco use. This study aimed to identify characteristics of patients affected by tobacco use disparities and examined demographic and substance use differences between tobacco users and nonusers in a sample of sexual minorities.

Healthy Aging in Community for Older Lesbians.

Purpose: In Boston and Outer Cape, Massachusetts, we explored the expectations of lesbians 60 years and older regarding healthy aging and community importance.

Methods: Focus groups were conducted with participants after completing an anonymous demographic questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used to generate themes and identify how they varied by urban versus rural settings.

The Predictive Syndemic Effect of Multiple Psychosocial Problems on Health Care Costs and Utilization among Sexual Minority Women.

Previous studies documenting sexual minority women's disproportionate risk for a range of medical, mental health, and substance use disorders have not provided a predictive framework for understanding their interrelations and outcomes. The present study aimed to address this gap by testing the syndemic effect of co-occurring psychosocial problems on 7-year health care costs and utilization among sexual minority women. The sample was comprised of sexual minority women (N = 341) who were seen at an urban LGBT-affirmative community health center.

Sexual minority specific and related traumatic experiences are associated with increased risk for smoking among gay and bisexual men.

Objective: This study examined the hypothesis that sexual minority specific stress and trauma histories may explain some of the risk for smoking among gay/bisexual men.

Methods: Patients at a Boston community health center were invited to complete a 25-item questionnaire assessing demographics, general health, trauma history, and substance use. Of the 3103 who responded, 1309 identified as male and gay or bisexual (82.

Transgender Health Disparities: Comparing Full Cohort and Nested Matched-Pair Study Designs in a Community Health Center.

Purpose: U.S. health surveillance systems infrequently include measures to identify transgender respondents or monitor the health of this underserved and marginalized population.

Intersecting identities and substance use problems: sexual orientation, gender, race, and lifetime substance use problems.

Objective: Research has documented that sexual minorities are at greater risk for substance use than heterosexuals. However, there are limited studies and mixed findings when investigating these health disparities among racial and ethnic minority samples. We used an intersectionality framework to examine disparities in lifetime substance use problems between heterosexual and sexual minority men and women and within sexual minority groups among a racially diverse sample.

Sexual risk behavior and behavior change among persons newly diagnosed with HIV: the impact of targeted outreach interventions among hard-to-reach populations.

The secondary effect of a national, targeted, outreach initiative in reducing sexual risk behavior among newly diagnosed persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) was examined in the present study. The findings propose an optimal number of outreach program contacts associated with a change in sexual risk behavior. The primary goal of the initiative was to implement and evaluate strategies to engage and retain underserved populations (PLWHA) in HIV primary medical care.

Sexual and gender minority health: what we know and what needs to be done.

We describe the emergence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health as a key area of study and practice for clinicians and public health professionals. We discuss the specific needs of LGBT populations on the basis of the most recent epidemiological and clinical investigations, methods for defining and measuring LGBT populations, and the barriers they face in obtaining appropriate care and services. We then discuss how clinicians and public health professionals can improve research methods, clinical outcomes, and service delivery for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

The promise of outreach for engaging and retaining out-of-care persons in HIV medical care.

From the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, outreach workers have been on the frontlines of HIV prevention, working in community venues to increase knowledge and promote behaviors to reduce HIV transmission. As demographics of the HIV-infected population have changed, the need has grown to locate out-of-care individuals and learn how to engage and retain them in HIV care. Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Outreach Initiative, 10 sites across the United States implemented and evaluated enhanced outreach models designed to increase engagement and retention in HIV care for underserved, disadvantaged HIV-infected individuals.

HIV System Navigation: an emerging model to improve HIV care access.

Little is known about the effectiveness of outreach interventions to engage and retain underserved populations living with HIV in stable, primary medical care. This study provided an opportunity to adapt a patient navigation model first developed for cancer care to assess its effectiveness with HIV-infected disadvantaged populations. Four grantees from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-funded Outreach Initiative developed and successfully implemented navigation-like interventions.