sexual behaviors and should refer these patients. Even
if you're a member of one sexual minority community,
you may not be able to nonjudgmentally treat any or all
sexual minority patients.
basics of how to care for them. I do not, and unfortunately
never will, speak Japanese, so it is reasonable for me
to refer new patients who only speak Japanese to a
Japanese-speaking physician. Nevertheless, I have had
to take care of such patients. I try to employ translators
(both Japanese speakers who work in the hospital and
family members). I have learned something of Japanese
culture. The hospitals where I work have devised "Asian
diets" (comfort food is important when you are sick) and
have made other accommodations. Physicians confronted
with sexual lifestyles with which they are not comfortable
need to take similar actions: seek out experts and attempt
to make accommodations for patient comfort.
recommendations on how to treat them effectively and
respectfully.
behavior a task which is not as simple as it seems.
Individuals may choose to define their sexuality with a
label, but their actual behavior may be very different.
Medical risk is related to a patient's behavior, heredity or
environment, not his or her identity. It does not matter