Lesbian Health Fund - Background
The Lesbian Health Fund
Our Mission
The mission of the Lesbian Health Fund is to improve the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ women and girls through funding rigorous scientific research. We achieve this mission through funding small-scale pilot grants and studies that establish knowledge of factors that impact our communities' health and shape our unique health needs.
LHF believes healthcare isn't a privilege but a right, and improving the health and well-being of the most marginalized and ignored uplifts all of society. We are committed to this mission until the causes of inequitable healthcare and outcomes are dismantled in our community.
Critical Need
Misinformation, homophobia among health care providers, and a lack of scientific data on basic lesbian health needs result in dangerously inadequate health care for many lesbians.
The serious impact these factors have on lesbian health is evidenced by alarming rates of suicidal behavior among lesbian, bisexual, and questioning youth; high incidence of stress-related chronic illnesses in lesbian adults; and avoidance of preventive health services by lesbians of all ages.
In order to improve lesbian health care, comprehensive research must be conducted, homophobia must be addressed within the health professions, and lesbians and their providers must become better informed.
Did you know?
Get to know us
Herstory: How it all started
It all began with a few fiercely dedicated lesbian physicians with a steadfast commitment to their community’s health and well-being. They questioned how effective health care could be in improving the lives of partners, chosen family members, patients, and themselves without high-quality research that included the community’s lived experiences. So they began a mission to create the solution and through persistence, passion, and the belief in research to change lives, LHF was born.
It all began with a few fiercely dedicated lesbian physicians with a steadfast commitment to their community’s health and well-being. They questioned how effective health care could be in improving the lives of partners, chosen family members, patients, and themselves without high-quality research that included the community’s lived experiences. So they began a mission to create the solution and through persistence, passion, and the belief in research to change lives, LHF was born.
How it all started
Who we are
LHF centers and uplifts communities whose lived experiences and health are impacted by sexism, misogyny, transmisogyny, and/or misogynoir using an anti-oppressive approach in pursuit of health justice.
LGBTQ health research is still generally underfunded, but only 6.5% of LGBTQ research funded by the National Institutes of Health includes lesbian women despite LBQ women representing 55% of the LGBTQ adult population, and LBQ and questioning girls comprising 66% of the LGBTQ youth population.
We’ve expanded the LHF community over the last three decades to reflect the LGBTQ community’s growth and increased visibility; however, LHF remains committed to prioritizing research led by and for LGBTQ+ women and girls to address this disparity within our community.
Mission
Improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ women & girls through funding rigorous scientific research. We achieve this mission through funding small-scale pilot grants and studies that establish knowledge of factors that impact our communities’ health and shape our unique health needs.
LHF believes health care isn’t a privilege but a right, and improving the health and wellbeing of the most marginalized and ignored uplifts all of society. We are committed to this mission until the causes of inequitable health care and outcomes are dismantled in our community.
Impact
We are the only U.S. research fund dedicated solely to the unique health needs of LGBTQ+ women and girls. For nearly three decades, LHF has been funding essential and fundamental research to improve the health and lives of this community.
Our grants are crucial catalysts to larger, multi-million dollar studies funded by federal agencies. We have granted over $1.2 million dollars to fund over 134 critical research studies which have deepened knowledge of our communities’ health.
The Lesbian Health Fund is a Program of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
LHF is a program of GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality, the oldest and largest health professional association in the world. GLMA's membership includes a vibrant community of multi-disciplinary health professionals and health equity advocates who work collectively to advance LGBTQ+ health through advocacy, education, and research.
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