LGBT Sexual Health
Welcome to the Virtual Student Health Center’s page on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) sexual health! Here, you’ll find some specific information on STIs that especially impact queer students, and helpful resources both on and off campus for maintaining a sexually healthy lifestyle.
What are some STIs that impact the LGBT community?
- LGBT individuals are much more likely to experience a wide array of health inequalities than heterosexual individuals, and sexual health is no different.
- LGBT individuals are also on average more sexually active, and less likely to use protection.
- This may explain why while incidence rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have decreased over the past 15 years across America overall, they have increased among the LGBT community, especially men who have sex with men (MSM).
- MSM and transgender woman have also been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.
- Annually, MSM account for 78% of new infections among men and 68% of infections overall.
- A recent review of studies estimates that transgender woman are 50 times as likely to be HIV positive compared with other adults.
What is HIV/AIDS?
- While HIV and AIDS are often used interchangeably, they are two separate health conditions.
- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that is transmitted through bodily fluids, and attacks the body’s immune system.
- AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency system) is a condition that occurs as Stage III HIV, when the body’s immune system is seriously damaged.
Graphic from https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/factsheets/hiv101-consumer-info.pdf
Did you Know?
Today, HIV/AIDS is highly preventable, and people who are HIV positive lead healthy, normal lives! If you’re curious about PrEP prevents HIV, if PrEP is right for you, or how to get on the pill at AU, read the infographic on the left! For more information, click below to be redirected to the Centers for Disease Control.
Where else can I get tested and treated?
If seeing a doctor at the Student Health Center doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of service providers across DC where you can get tested for HIV, prescribed PrEP, and receive other sexual health services for little or no cost.
See below for a quick overview of some of DC’s most popular LGBT health care providers, or for an interactive map of HIV testing and PrEP services.
Whitman Walker Health
- Free testing, counseling, and referral services
- Dedicated walk-in hours for HIV testing; guaranteed emergency access to PEP treatment within 72 hours of exposure
- Multiple locations in DC, including a W-W pharmacy
DC Health and Wellness Center
- Sliding-scale fees: free prevention, STI screenings, and treatment options for whatever is not covered by patients’ health insurance
- Social support groups, relationship and health counseling for LGBT partners
Casa Ruby
- Free testing, social work, and temporary housing services for LGBT youth
- The only bilingual, multicultural queer center in the Washington, DC metro area
- Founded and operated by transgender women