Ohio opens
state's first gay medical clinic

Pride Clinic, a health center catering to the needs of Cleveland's gay population, opened April 4, reports The [Cleveland] Plain Dealer.

Douglas Van Auken, medical director at McCafferty Health Center, which houses the clinic, said the Pride Clinic is not only the first of its kind in the state but one of only 12 in the country.

"We want this clinic to be a place where gays can come when they need medical care or help of any kind, a place they know is safe and one where they can trust their doctors to treat them with respect," he told the Plain Dealer. He cited the discrimination that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people face when they visit a doctor as a significant reason they people tend to harbor reservations about seeking medical help.

The clinic offers primary care in disease risk reduction, screening for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, drug treatment, smoking, family planning, and obstetrical and gynecological services, according to the article. The clinic will also have a social worker on site and medical staff trained in LGBT issues. (The Advocate)