Implementing the Institute of Medicine report on lesbian health

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently published the report of its committee on lesbian health research priorities, which concluded that there has been little emphasis on and funding for research on the health of lesbians, despite the increased emphasis on women's health research in the 1990s. The report recommended additional research to determine if lesbians are at higher (or lower) risk for certain health problems than other women. It noted significant barriers to conducting lesbian health research, including lack of funding and several methodological issues. The IOM anticipates that the research recommended will benefit other populations as well. Several federal agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services can provide technical expertise and support to implement the report's recommendations, and suggestions are given here. The IOM report legitimizes scientific investigation into lesbian health, which should increase public and private research funding and the number of researchers in this area. A paradigm shift for lesbian health research is on the horizon, and we are grateful to the dedicated cadre of researchers, both published and unpublished, who have pioneered and persisted in this research during the past 25 years.