Recent findings on the differences in heart disease among women and men and among blacks and whites show that characteristics such as gender and ethnicity matter when it comes to health research. The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Understanding, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, recommends steps to ensure that clinical researchers identify and address the needs of LGBT populations. The report was written in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for guidance on researching LGBT health issues.
The report will be released at an 11 a.m. public briefing on Thursday, March 31, in the Potomac Room of the Melrose Hotel, 2430 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. Advance copies of the report will be available to reporters only beginning at 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday, March 30. The report is embargoed and not for public release before 11 a.m. EDT March 31. Reporters can obtain a copy and arrange interviews with members of the authoring committee by contacting the National Academies' Office of News and Public Information; tel. 202-334-2138 or e-mail news@nas.edu.