Orlando is a city that has a rather profound gay population and yet when it comes to finding a gay doctor here it seems they are few and far between.

Jordan a 39 year-old real estate agent discovered this for himself after moving from South Carolina. 'I just wanted a gay doctor for obvious reasons. It's easier if the doctor is like you.'

However, Jordan was unable to locate one gay doctor in the Orlando area and his friends were unable to recommend anyone either. Upon delving further Jordan discovered that many of his friends were visiting straight doctors and hiding their sexuality from them; a move that Jordan views as un-healthy.

Jordan eventually tracked down a practitioner advertising in the Watermark, a local newspaper only because he refused to give up.

Gay Orlando ranks in the top 10 nationwide with an estimated population of 80,000 LGBT, so why are there so few gay doctors?

According to Chistopher Blackwell, assistant professor in the College of Nursing UCF, this is because there is a fear of ostracism within the medical profession.

As Blackwell said, 'we still live in a society where homophobia and heterosexism exist. Those physicians are dealing with the same stigmas as any LGBT person, and they are having to deal with the professional ramifications as well.'

And yet, a large part of being treated by a medical professional is being open about your lifestyle, especially when this can play an important role in early detection of ailments that you may be more susceptible to.

It took Jordan 14 years of perseverance to find a doctor he could connected with on an equal level in Orlando, hopefully for those LGBT who do not disclose their sexuality to their medical practitioner they too will find someone of a similar nature in the near future.

Source: Kurnerth, J (2007) doctor's Catering to Gays are Rare; available online at http://www.orlandosentinel.com

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