1. Health Disparities Facing Sexual Minority Women
Presented by: Emily Cohen, MSW

2. Emily Cohen is the Director of Women’s Services at SunServe, and co-founder of Ignite Women South Florida. She holds an MSW from Florida Atlantic University, where she focused on working with the LGBTQ+ community and substance abuse recovery. She is an avid advocate and activist for the LGBT community.

3. Learning Objectives
At the end of this session, participants should be able to: 
Describe health disparities and risk factors among lesbian and bisexual women 
List ways to provide patient-centered preventive care to lesbian and bisexual women 
Explain strategies to promote positive behavioral change among lesbian and bisexual women

5. Who Are We Talking About?

6. Heteronormativity & Visibility
“Please, please, don’t assume that I’m straight. If you ask me a question– like “Do you have a boyfriend?”, it makes me feel invisible and I don’t want to talk to you anymore.” “I can’t tell you how many times the only question I’ve been asked about sex is: ‘what are you using for contraception?’ I’m a lesbian, and I don’t need birth control.”

7. Minority Stress

8. Health Risks & Disparities
Sexual Behavior
Exposure to STIs
Cervical Cancer
Lack of Preventative Screenings
Tobacco Use
Alcohol & Drug Use
Overweight & Obesity
Cardiovascular Disease
Cancer
Mental Health

9. Putting It Into Practice

10. Collecting SOGIE Data

11. Thank You!