Do Ask, Do Tell

3 September 2002 | Volume 137 Issue 5 Part 1 | Pages 341-343

As a consequence of bias and ignorance within the medical profession, lesbians and gay men frequently receive suboptimal health care. Knowledge of each patient's sexual orientation and behaviors is critical for the development of a productive therapeutic relationship, accurate risk assessment, and the provision of pertinent preventive counseling. However, clinicians often forget to ask about this information, and many lesbians and gay men are reticent to reveal the truth. I present vignettes from my personal experiences as a lesbian patient and doctor to illustrate the importance of creating an environment in which such disclosure can occur and to portray the challenges and rewards of coming out as a gay physician.

Author and Article Information

From Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Requests for Single Reprints: Jennifer E. Potter, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215; e-mail, jpotter{at}caregroup.harvard.edu.