Study finds gays and lesbians excluded from some clinical trials

By Beau

A new study being published in The New England Journal of Medicine today looked at an array of clinical trials, both federally funded and industry funded, finding a clear trend of using exclusionary language for gays and lesbians in some studies, especially around those looking at sexual function.

Clinical trial work happens to be my sweet spot so I found this study interesting but not surprising.  Exclusionary language in study protocols can look surprisingly benign but anyone in the know can quickly see how the written exclusions carve out LGBT people without explicitly saying "gay", "lesbian", or referencing sexual orientation.  Bringing this kind of information to light underscores the need to address and correct the ongoing disparities in LGBT health care.  It is one more way to say that we as an LGBT population have the same needs and issues, including health issues, as every other human being, regardless of our sexual orientation.