Cindy Veldhuis Shifts the Focus to Queer Women's Health
"I have never—not once—been asked about my sexual identity by a healthcare provider. Not even at an LGBTQ+ clinic in New York City. I have been asked about my pronouns, asked about HIV status and risks, and asked about cigarette smoking—but no provider has ever asked me about health concerns that are unique and specific to queer women, like depression, partner violence or suicide risks," writes Cindy Veldhuis, PhD, in the Windy City Times. Veldhuis is a research assistant professor at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) and director of the SOQIR study.
"How about you? Has your primary care provider ever asked about your sexual identity? The gender of your partners? Whether you are safe at home? ... For many queer women, it can feel like we aren’t fully included in women’s health care, and we’re not fully included in LGBTQ+ healthcare, either."