S., According to a new national
online survey, health care costs (50%) and the lack of adequate health
insurance (43%) are cited as the most common reasons why lesbians have delayed
obtaining health care.

- Among lesbians, 16 percent report that they have delayed obtaining
health care because they were concerned they would be discriminated
against.
In theory, with probability samples of this size, one can say with 95
percent certainty that the results for the overall sample of U.

About Mautner Project, The National Lesbian Health Organization
Mautner Project, The National Lesbian Health Organization improves the
health of lesbians and their families through advocacy, education, research,
and direct service.harrispollonline.

accountable instances

- Three quarters of lesbians (74%) who have experienced discrimination at
a doctor's office believe that they were discriminated against because
of their sexual orientation."

Base: All Adults

Total GLB Lesbian Heterosexual
(n=2,209) (n=119) (n=341) (n=2,024)
% % % %
I was concerned about the
cost of health care 33 39 50 33
I lacked adequate health
insurance 26 39 43 25
I have had bad experience (s)
with a health care provider(s)
in the past 13 22 27 12
I was afraid or embarrassed
to talk about my health issues 10 18 13 9
I am concerned about the
privacy of my personal life 6 2 13 6
I had doubts about medical
records being kept confidential 5 9 9 5
I do not want a diagnosis of
illness on my permanent record 5 10 6 4
I was concerned I would be
discriminated against 4 15 16 3
Other 6 5 7 6
I have never delayed
obtaining health care 45 37 25 46


TABLE 4
DISCRIMINATION IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS
"Have you ever felt you were discriminated against in any of the following
health care settings? Please select all that apply.

harrisinteractive.-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting
with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and
application.

hatecrime lgbtq

New National Survey Shows Financial Concerns and Lack of Adequate Health Insurance are Top Causes for Delay by Lesbians in Obtaining Health Care

TABLE 5
DISCRIMINATED AGAINST
"You mentioned that you felt discriminated against in your doctor or another
health care professional's office. Figures for age, sex,
race, education and number of adults in the household were weighted where
necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the
population . EOE M/F/D/V
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to
participate in future online surveys, visit http://www.

accountable instances

Partnering with a team led by AT+T Government Solutions Inc."

Base: All Adults

Total GLB Lesbian Heterosexual
(n=2,209) (n=119) (n=341) (n=2,024)
% % % %
Discriminated (NET) 16 22 27 16
Doctor or other health
care provider 's office 9 16 18 9
Hospital 8 14 11 7
Public health department
or clinic 5 15 4 4
Community health center 3 9 4 3
Other health care setting 2 4 3 2
I have not been
discriminated against in 84 78 73 84
any health care setting.
They include refusals to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and
question order, and weighting. In addition, given the low incidence of
response from transgendered individuals , it is extremely difficult to draw
conclusions from the data captured.com), Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan,
through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide, a Reston, Virginia-based research
and consultancy firm ranked 25th largest in the world, and through an
independent global network of affiliate market research companies.

bias 427

S."

Additional findings from the survey include:
- All adults (35%) think that health insurance coverage deserves the most
attention from health care professionals and public policy makers,
followed by cancer (16%) and obesity and HIV/AIDS (9% each).

- Heterosexuals are more likely than lesbians to believe that they were
discriminated against because of their income level (35% vs.

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States between January
11 and 16, 2005 among 2,209 adults, of whom 119 self -identified as gay,
lesbian, or bisexual (GLB).S. Unfortunately,
there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that
are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error.

responses lgbtq

"This is an excellent example of how technology can
be applied to meet real human needs. adults have
a sampling error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

motivated determine

Baltimore Launches Victim Notification Service

e.

crimes reaching

While GLB respondents (18% overall) and lesbians (9%) think that
HIV/AIDS deserves the most attention, fitness is also high on their list
(13 % and 14% respectively). Did you feel discriminated against because
of your . ? Please select all that apply.

gaither offender

"If doctors, nurses
and other medical professionals are truly committed to providing the best care
to all their patients and are sensitive to the unique needs of their lesbian
patients, then this can improve. A dash
represents a value of zero.
nutrition and exercise ) 9 13 14 8
Substance/Drug use 4 1 2 4
Elderly care 4 3 3 4
Heart Disease 3 2 * 4
Diabetes 3 2 * 3
Depression/Anxiety/Stress 2 8 2 2
Domestic Violence 1 2 2 1
Tobacco Use 1 * 1 1
Stroke/High Blood Pressure 1 - 2 1
Alcohol Use 1 2 1 1
Other health care priority 3 1 * 3

* Less than 0.Y.novatris.

shepard wanting

lesbian adults were surveyed.
This survey is another in a line of important wake-up calls for the medical
establishment. 12%)."

Notes on reading tables:
The percentage of respondents has been included for each item.

offender punishment

"
The Baltimore City Detention Center, where 40,000 inmates are taken into
custody each year, joins the Maryland statewide VINE program that was
introduced five years ago.

lesbianism instances

has deployed its patented
VINE(R) service (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) for the
facility -- one of the largest pretrial detention complexes in the United
States and the largest in Maryland.
Other innovative products and services include JusticeXchange(TM), the
nation's only real-time "who's in jail" database, AlertXpress (TM), a high-
speed notification service for criminal justice agencies, and VINE Protective
Order , which notifies crime victims when a protective order has been served on
a respondent. ROCHESTER , N. One in five (19%) feels they were
discriminated against because of their physical or mental disability and
five percent said it was because of their gender identity or expression.

About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive Inc.

roanoke gaither

Maryland's VINE program, sponsored by the
Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention and the Maryland State Board
of Victim Services, provides custody information on all offenders held in
county jails and Department of Correction facilities, as well as court
information. In
addition, 341 self-identified U. The survey
was conducted online between January 11 and 16, 2005 by Harris Interactive(R)
in conjunction with the Mautner Project, The National Lesbian Health
Organization.

- The top two health risks lesbians are worried about for themselves are
being overweight (17%) and being out of shape /not physically fit (16%)

"Getting lesbians to the doctor would be a huge first step in preventing
chronic illness among the nation's lesbian population; but to accomplish that,
there will have to be a significant change in the way that doctors and their
staffs and their lesbian clients communicate ," said Amari Sokoya
Pearson-Fields, deputy director of the Mautner Project.5 percent. 18
cdermody@witeckcombs.com

Shameka Lloyd
Witeck-Combs Communications
202-887 -0500 ext.

hatecrime punishment

VINE notifies crime victims of offenders' status

BALTIMORE, Crime victims and concerned citizens now
have around-the-clock access to vital information about offenders held in the
Baltimore City Detention Center.
"Barriers to accessing health care, whether they are financial,
institutional or cultural, can be devastating for lesbians with chronic or
life threatening illnesses," said Kathleen DeBold, executive director of the
Mautner Project.

motivated 427

Y.S. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for
respondents' propensity to be online. Although we
remain interested in the consumer attitudes and characteristics of
transgendered individuals, for accuracy and consistency we distinguish sexual
orientation from gender identity.hieurope.com

offender 427

Appriss(R) Inc.vinelink. When asked to identify what current health issue
deserves the most attention from health care professionals and public policy
makers from among a list of 14 issues, two in five (41%) lesbians said that
health insurance coverage, followed by nutrition/exercise (14%) and obesity
(12%) deserve the most attention.
Younger lesbians (aged 18-35) are more likely than older lesbians (aged 50 and
over) to have delayed obtaining health care.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National
Council on Public Polls. We envision a healthcare system that is guided by social
justice and responsive to the needs of all people.

determine hate

Users can call 1-866 -MD-4-VINE
(1-866-634-8463) or log onto to http://www. The Appriss Communications
Center(TM) relays information from a jail or prison's booking system to
registered victims when there is a change in an offender's custody status. "Stigma and the potential for discrimination has, for years,
been a major obstacle for lesbians and gays seeking appropriate health care. lesbian adults aged 18 and over .

crimes wanting

com to find out if an
offender is in jail, and register to be notified automatically when an
offender is released, transferred, or escapes., Appriss provides
automated notification services to victims of Federal crimes through the U. Percentages may not always add up to 100% because
of computer rounding or the acceptance of multiple answers from respondents
answering that question.

TABLE 1
WHICH HEALTH ISSUES DESERVE THE MOST ATTENTION?
"Turning now to the topic of health issues, which of the following health
issues do you think deserves the most attention from health care professionals
and public policy makers? "

Base: All Adults

Total GLB Lesbian Heterosexual
(n=2,209)(n=119) (n=341) (n=2,024)
% % % %
Health Insurance Coverage 35 35 41 35
Cancer 15 3 9 16
Obesity 9 10 12 9
HIV/AIDS 9 18 9 8
Fitness education and programs (i.. The online survey was also conducted among 341
self-identified U.

honoring sentenced

About Appriss
Appriss provides innovative technology solutions that help governments
serve and protect their citizens.

S.

bias reaching

adults, of whom 119 have self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual (GLB). Sampling error for the
following sub-sample results: heterosexuals (2,024); GLB adults (119 );
lesbians (341); lesbians aged 18-35 (73) and aged 50 and over (87); and adults
(360), heterosexuals (311), GLB adults (34), and lesbians (98) who experienced
discrimination in a health care setting is higher and varies.

Additional Note: Previous research conducted by Harris Interactive in
conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc.

Press Contacts:

Nancy Wong
Harris Interactive
585-214-7316

Colleen Dermody
Witeck-Combs Communications
202-887-0500 ext.

bias honoring

TABLE 3
DELAYS IN OBTAINING HEALTH CARE
"Have any of the following ever caused you to delay obtaining health care?
Please select all that apply.. It is impossible to quantify the errors that
may result from these factors. Mautner is a tax-exempt
501(c) (3) non-profit organization governed by an all-volunteer Board of
Directors composed of community leaders , healthcare providers, cancer
survivors and caregivers. (http://www.S. offices and wholly owned
subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe (http://www.

motivated hate

Its flagship product, VINE, is available in
more than 1,500 communities in 39 states and two Canadian provinces.
These are some of the results of a nationwide online survey of 2,209 U. An
asterisk (*) signifies a value of less than one-half percent.5 percent


TABLE 2
HEALTH RISKS
"Which one of the following health risks are you most worried about for
yourself?"

Base: All Adults

Total GLB Lesbian Heterosexual
(n=2,209) (n=119) (n=341) (n=2,024)
% % % %
Cancer 16 6 11 16
Being overweight 14 11 17 14
Being out of shape/Not
physically fit 12 12 16 12
Getting older 11 6 15 11
Depression/Anxiety/Stress 7 19 9 6
Disability 6 3 5 6
A disease other than cancer 4 1 2 4
Environmental hazards 4 3 4 4
Smoking 4 3 8 4
HIV/AIDS 1 13 - 1
Poor nutrition 1 2 2 1
Violence in my neighborhood 1 * 1 1
Violence in my home * - - *
Other health risk not mentioned 4 6 4 4
I am not worried about any
health risks for myself 16 13 7 16

* Less than 0.

reaching responds

"With the ability to transmit data to VINE, victims in Baltimore City can
now receive timely information about perpetrators who are still in the
pretrial phase of the criminal justice system," said Assistant Baltimore City
Commissioner Ben Brown.
Department of Justice.

- Lesbians are more likely than heterosexuals to say that bad experiences
with health care providers in the past has caused them to delay
obtaining health care (27% vs. 20%)."

Base: Those discriminated against in a health care setting

Total GLB* Lesbian* Heterosexual
(n=360) (n=34 ) (n=98) (n=311)
% % % %
Income level 36 39 20 35
Weight 23 26 31 23
Age 19 7 7 21
Race 19 30 10 19
Gender 13 6 15 14
Physical or mental disability 12 9 19 12
Sexual orientation 6 52 74 1
Marital status 5 20 8 3
National origin 4 17 1 3
Gender identity or expression 2 1 5 2
Religious faith 2 2 2 2
Other 22 28 12 20

* Very low base. This online sample is not a probability sample .com), Paris-based
Novatris (http://www.com.

instances sentenced

VINE gives crime victims and concerned citizens toll-free, up-to-date
offender custody information, 24 hours a day. queried gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgendered (GLBT) self-identified respondents.com), the 15th
largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester,
N.

roanoke crimes

Overall, three quarters (75%) of lesbians (compared to 54% of
heterosexuals) have delayed obtaining health care for at least one reason. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet-based
research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research
to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results .
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and
technology to advance market leadership through U. 25
slloyd@witeckcombs.

frontline sentenced

---

- - kjjkjk

Loading...

(Note: These pages use the Atlas Content Safeguard System (ACSS) and require that Javascript is enabled for viewing.)