Choosing a health care provider

Many gay men and lesbians face
the prospect of finding a health care
provider with a certain amount of

confusion and worry. It is important '

to find someone who is not only
competent but trustworthy and caring.
Finding such a person seems to be an
overwhelming task.

The time to look for a health care
provider is when you are healthy. This
will give you the time to find the
person who views your health care
needs in the same way that you do.
When faced with this task, it helps to
face it as you would hiring any service
provider. Ask people you trust for
recommendations, and interview the
person you are bout to hire. Obviously
there are some differences in hiring a
health care provider - for one you have
to pay for the interview. But, the
principle is the same. A health care
provider is someone who works for you
to help you keep healthy. You pay for
this service and deserve to be
comfortable with the arrangement.

One of the best ways to find
someone you will be happy with is by
asking around. Ask your friends and
colleagues who they use. Many times
local gay or lesbian organizations have
lists of gay sympathetic providers.
(There is a good list of providers in
the Community Resources section of
Out in the Mountains.) Find out the
providers known to be homophobic and
try to stay away from them. Even if
you do not plan to come out to your
provider, you will probably be
uncomfortable with someone who is
homophobic.

The next step is to interview.
Before interviewing a prospective health
care provider you need to decide what
will be important to you in your
relationship with this person. The
questions of whether to "come out” to a
health care provider looms large when
deciding who to go to and what the
relationship will be like. Many gay
z1nd_ lesbian people are fearful of
””k1n8 honcstly about their sexuality.
In.a recent study done at the
U"“V°f5itY of Iowa, forty percent of
the_ lesbians surveyed "thought that
their health care would he adverscly
affected if their physician were aware
of their sexual preference." Certainly

ODYWORK S

by Deborah Kutzko

in these times of increased homophobia,
both lesbians and gay men have good
reasons for these fears. Another concern
is the effect that a breach of
confidentiality might have on insurance
companies, employers or family.

There are some good reasons,
however, to be open with a potential
health care provider. Certainly the
main reason is so that you can receive
accurate information and complete care.
Also in many cases it feels better.
Questions of next of kin and who is
allowed to see you and care for you in
the event of serious illness are best
handled when clarity and openness are
allowed.

Although our lives include more
than our sexuality, complete health care
should include attention to our sexual
practices. For people with more than
one sexual partner it is important to
pay attention to the possibility of
sexually transmitted diseases. For
people who are not currently sexual or
are sexual with one partner or
themselves, there may be other problems
or concerns that can be helped by
talking to a health care provider,

It sometimes helps to make a list
of questions that you can take with
you when interviewing a potential
health care provider. Your list might
include the following:

1) Do you have many gay or lesbian
clients’?

2) How do you feel about working
with gay and lesbian people?

3) Are you familiar with gay and
lesbian health problems?

4) Who covers for you when you are
not working?

5) Will my sexual preference be noted
in my medical records?

6) Who else will have access to my

medical records?
A major point to remember when

choosing a medical provider is that you
are the boss. If you are not getting
what you need from a particular
provider, it is your right to ask for it
or to find a better person for the job.

Vigil of hope set for Memorial Day

On Monday, May 26, Vermonters
will join with others across the nation
in participating in a vigil against
AIDS. The vigil will take place on the
steps of the Vermont State House at
8:30 pm. and will include brief
speeches, music and a candlelight
memorial. There will be an indoor
location posted at the State House in
case of rain.

Vigils and other related activities
on Memorial Day regarding AIDS are

being spearheaded by a San Francisco
based group - Mobilization Against
AIDS. Here in Vermont, the vigil is
being planned by a newly formed grouo
- Vermont Committee for AIDS
Resources, Education and Services
(Vermont C.A.R.E.S.)

There will be more information about
this organization in the June OITM.
There will be a meeting of Vermont
C.A.R.E.S. on Sunday, May l8. Contact
862-5917 for details.

May 1986 - page 5

H TL V-3 bill
Dies
In committee

The HTLV-Ill antibody
discrimination bill has died in the
Health and Welfare Committee of the
Vermont House of Representatives.
House Bill 622, which would have
forbidden housing and employment
discrimination on the basis of
HTLV-Ill antibody test results, was
never brought to a vote by the
committee.

Rep. Toby Young (D-
Westminster), the committee's chair,
reported to supporters of the bill that
she had brought the matter before the
committee members and they showed no
interest in reporting the bill to the full
House. The lack of interest was
attributed to the lateness of the session
and the belief of many members that
the bill would lose if sent to a House
vote.

Terje Anderson, who co-ordinated
lobbying on the bill, said that he was
"disappointed, but not surprised” by the
bill's fate. "We knew from the
beginning that it would be an uphill
fight."

Anderson maintained that despite
the failure to pass the legislation, the
effort was worthwhile. "Educating the
legislature is not something which will
happen overnight, but we made an
impressive start with HB 622." He said
that over 30 members of the legislature
had told him they were impressed with
the lobbying effort by the lesbian and
gay community. "They said that the
educational package we sent them, the
hearing on the bill, and letters and
phone calls from constituents were well-
organized and highly informational.
One state representative from a very
rural, conservative district told me that
he had received about a dozen letters
and that the information packet was
one of the best he'd ever seen.”

"We may not have gotten the bill
passed," said Anderson, “but we made a
positive impression on the legislature. It
is important that we start planning now
to be back next year, perhaps with a
more comprehensive package of
AIDS-related legislation. If we plan
ahead to co-ordinate a very thorough
lobbying campaign, we can build on
this year's very positive beginnings.”

State Rep. K. Micque Glitman
(D-Burlington), who sponsored HB 622,
agreed. "Legislation rarely passes the
first time through in Montpelier, but if
you are persistent and work hard, you
frequently can go somewhere with it."

Glitman advised supporters of the
legislation to "start early and plan
ahead” for the next legislature. She also
stressed that "it is important that you
let legislative candidates know that you
are concerned about it when thev are
01” Campaigning for votes this fall.
Nothing makes an impression on a
politician like hearing from a voter."