By Dr. Kevin Wang
Happy one year anniversary!
Before I start with this month's column, I'd like to thank everyone who's been reading the column and e-mailing me with any additional questions. I'm hoping you've found my columns and e-mail responses helpful and information. It's certainly kept me on my toes to stay up to date on topics that are important!
Now on to this month's column!
So this month, I'd like to sort of do a year in review with a request at the end.
For the last year, I've sort of focused on preventative health. The first step, of course, is to motivate yourself to maintain your health. We usually make those New Year's Resolutions and consider eating better, exercising and calling that random doctor's name in your network book or the back of your insurance card to schedule a physical.
The hardest thing to do is to make all these changes and it's important to take these changes one step at a time. To read up on the importance of change, please visit:
https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=10769.
The hardest part with that last part is finding a doctor that is LGBT friendly. For the article on what to look for in an LGBT-friendly doctor, check out this link: https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=9848.
Some articles that I've written in the last year discuss some of the things that happen during a yearly physical. Such things involve a general exam of the major systems (heart, lungs, musculoskeletal, neurological, etc.), getting your blood pressure and weight, and gathering a complete history of your medical health. Other things that most doctors do will be to check your immunization status (tetanus, flu, and pneumonia), cholesterol, blood counts to look for anemia or other blood disorders and electrolyte imbalances. For women who are sexually activity or are above a certain age require a Pap smear as well as a breast exam. For men above 45, or younger with certain risk factors, they require a prostate exam. For more on these topics, please visit:
https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=11633 for more information on a general physical, https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=14466 and https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=14837 for lesbian health, https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=15171 and https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=15495 for important topics on men's health. I know that's a lot of web pages to visit but certainly readable for some extra information if you missed these topics.
Another huge topic that I tried to fit in a readable column is domestic violence. I've heard people say that it's always something that's happened to someone else or something that they've only read about. Check out this article at https://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=15867.
That's our year in review!
Now on to my request! As my profile states, I am currently in my 2nd year in my family practice program. My program requires that I do a research project and I've always wanted to help out the LGBT community. What I'm trying to do is to create a set of lectures (either given by lecturers from the community or by myself) that will be implemented into the curriculum. I am hoping that these lectures will make the residents and faculty more aware of the LGBT community and the resources available for our community. I have set up a survey and am hoping to have it online in the next month or so. So this is where I'm asking a favor: for you to fill it out so I can better educate our future physicians about the LGBT community. Please e-mail me at the email address below and I'll send the survey back. It should be up on a website shortly.
Again, thanks to everyone reading my column in BTL! I hope this month's column finds you in good health and spirits. If you have any questions, comments or additional information, please feel free to contact me at the address below. Take care everyone!
