Medical group fund research into lesbian health
A gay medical organisation has announced three grants to support research into lesbian health.
The Lesbian Health Fund (LHF), a programme of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), today announced three $10,000 grants to support groundbreaking research in the field of lesbian health.
LHF also announced the extension of its deadline to apply for grants as June 15 2006.
Founded in 1992, LHF has given more than $450,000 to fund lesbian health research.
LHF grants address issues of critical importance to the health of lesbians. Speaking of the grant she just received, current grant recipient Susan Jo Roberts said: “This grant from LHF will allow us to explore the attitudes and beliefs of lesbians about risk factors for cardiovascular disease: smoking, overweight, hypertension, and lack of exercise.
“Recent research has suggested that many lesbians have these risk factors, possibly more than other women. In order to develop culturally sensitive and effective programs to reduce this risk, we need to better understand the attitudes and beliefs that lesbians have. The pilot data we generate from this grant will set the stage for creating and obtaining funding for future intervention programmes.”
On the announcement of this year’s awards, LHF president Marion Kavanaugh-Lynch said: “As we recognise another group of very deserving grantees, I have great confidence that their work, like the work of previous grantees, will have a profound impact in improving the lives and health of lesbians everywhere.”