Recently there was a story in the news about a Gay Man who discovered his Doctor had classified him as having homosexuality disorder on his health care records:
A Los Angeles man is suing his doctor and a Southern California healthcare network, saying they ignored his request to remove a notation describing “homosexual behavior” as a “chronic problem” on his medical records.
Matthew Moore, 46, who is openly gay, said he was shocked to see his sexual orientation still described as a chronic condition more than a year after he complained about the use of the archaic medical classification. http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Lawsuit-filed-after-doctor-diagnosed-homosexuality-as-chronic-condition-270824541.html
I would like to be able to say this shocks me, however, I’ve heard from people time and again how the medical establishment still gets squeamish in treating gays and lesbians. In some parts of the country, health care providers still don gloves, masks and almost wear full-body contamination suits with gay patients, even for a routine checkup. I’ve even dealt with anti-gay doctors.
If you’ve read my Alport’s Syndrome Biography, I share what one Texas physician did. In short, when he read I was gay and with my then husband, he backed away from me, closed my file, refused to look at the health test results he had in his hand (when I was in renal failure with congestive heart failure) he stated ‘since you’re gay you are in full blown aids, you have PCP.’ He refused to look at me, shake neither my nor my husbands hands, he backed out of the room and ran down the hallway. It would take three more clinics and hospitals until I was correctly diagnose me with renal and congestive heart failure. All three gave the same aids diagnosis and it wasn’t until a Doctor from the CDC who said I was never aids or hiv positive.
So I can fully attest there are still anti-gay doctors and health care providers out there. Be careful who you trust your health to.
Brick ONeil 