Health needs of women who have sex with women: Authors' reply

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7437.464-b

BMJ 2004;328:464 (21 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7437.464-b

Letter

Health needs of women who have sex with women

Authors' reply

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—We thank everyone who contributed to the rapidresponse debate on bmj.com.¹ Many of the responses related tohomophobia in medicine. The editorial was designed to raiseawareness of the healthcare needs of women who have sex withwomen rather than to stimulate a debate about the morality ofhomosexuality.

Varney's comments on accessibility and appropriateness of careprovided by an informed clinical workforce are apposite.

Malterud expressed justified concern about the appropriatenessof the conclusions we drew using the restricted epidemiologicaldata available. We agree that epidemiological data concerningsexuality and health outcomes are difficult to gather and interpret.

We are pleased Frisch brought attention to a Danish study thatwas not published at the time of our submission and is the onlypopulation based study in this area listed in Medline. It showsthat women who have sex with women are not at higher risk . . . [Full text of this article]

Clare Hughes, final year medical student

Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's School of Medicine, London clarehughes@journalist.com

Amy Evans, specialist registrar, genitourinary medicine

Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX amy.evans@leedsth.nhs.uk