The Handbook of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Public Health: A Practitioner's Guide to Service.

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Author: Williams, Elizabeth1

Health & Medicine

The Handbook of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
Public Health: A Practitioner's Guide to Service.
Harrington Park: Haworth. Dec. 2005. c.447p. ed. by
Michael D. Shankle. index. ISBN 1-56023-495-4
[ISBN 978-1-56023-495-1]. $69.95; pap. ISBN 1-56023-496-2
[ISBN 978-1-56023-496-8]. $39.95. MED

How do you provide appropriate care for a population about whom you may not know much? This book, edited by HIV prevention research specialist Shankle, offers an excellent start for healthcare professionals unsure of how best to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients. It begins with the list of reasons for educating nurses, doctors, social workers, and others about specific health needs, as well as a history of public health in the LGBT community. Chapters contributed by a variety of providers, researchers, policymakers, and activists cover topics that include a synthesis of LGBT public health statistics, specific health challenges for this client base, a discussion of barriers to access, and practical suggestions for disease prevention and treatment. Similar to recent books about multicultural healthcare, Shankle's handbook challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about the types of services needed by the LGBT community. Because he includes questions at the end of each chapter, it would make a nifty textbook for a specialized public health class and could be extremely useful for students and practitioners. Recommended for academic health/social science libraries.

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By Elizabeth Williams, Washoe Cty. Lib. Syst., Reno