UC Davis Medical Center First To Ask About Sexual Orientation
DAVIS (CBS13) — UC Davis Medical Center will become the first academic health system to ask about sexual orientation.
Julie Weckstein was scared as a young adult. Now at UC Davis, she is trying to help gay men and lesbian women overcome those fears with a confidential questionnaire that could lead to better care.
"Diseases affect certain populations depending on what your risk and behaviors are, so we really need to know that so we can give you individualized care," she said.
According to the Institute of Medicine, the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community may be more susceptible than other demographics to alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, suicide and various sexual diseases.
But even with the higher risks, some gay men like Lee believe it isn't the doctor's business to know what kind of partners he has.
"I think asking the general populous what their sexual orientation is a bit more encroaching on the invasion of privacy more than getting them the best possible health care they could have."
Privacy is a concern for all, and UC Davis promises the records are protected, as is other personal information in them. They say none of the 76,000 patients who will be asked online will be forced to answer.
And the UC Davis Health System is not stopping with a questionnaire. The group is setting up a list of doctors that they call "LGBT welcoming" to help patients feel more comfortable about their sexual orientation.
