Minorities Less Likely to Report Gay Status to Doctors
July 24th, 2008 | by admin |
A new study by the New York Health department finds that more often than not, black, Hispanic and Asian men are far less likely to tell their doctor that they are gay compared to white men.
This translates to approximately 4 out of every 10 gay men living in the city.
According to health officials, this is a very dangerous trend, as by not telling their docs that they are gay, they can not be advised of HIV testing and other health related points of concern.
The survey of more than 400 gay men in the city found that up to 60% of black men kept hush about their sexual preference, while 48% of Hispanic and 47% of Asian men, kept quiet about their sexual preference.
The majority of older men were found to be more likely to not tell their doctors that they were gay, compared to about half of men under the age of 28.
“It’s a combination of people being less comfortable with the term gay or homosexual, and discrimination they perceive they will experience if they are open about their sexual experiences and attractions,” said Dr. Elizabeth Begier, the city’s director of HIV epidemiology.
