The Queer NP Is In

Did you know that Transgender people have a decreased likelihood of cancer screenings, and that delayed evaluation of symptoms could lead to late presentations of cancer (Alpert et al, 2022)?

Or that in the US, people with a cervix who identify as lesbian or bisexual are less likely to undergo cervical cancer screenings, in part, due to assumptions by the public and providers that these patients have a lower risk of HPV (Lawrence, 2022)?

How about the staggering fact that people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) may have a higher risk of getting cancer than those who identify as heterosexual or cisgender. Potential cancer disparities in cervical, breast, lung, and other types of cancer are largely due to discrimination and other factors (Lawrence, 2022).

Daily PrEP has been available for nearly a decade, yet fewer than 25% of the approximately 1 million Americans who could benefit from it are using it (CDC, 2022).

All of these disparities and more sparked my mission to create more inclusive healthcare spaces, so that as providers, we are advocating for the lives and well-being of our queer patients. All of our clients deserve proper care and inclusive support.

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My Journey

As an NP, I’ve trained with a predominantly LGBTQ+ federally-qualified health center, where I refined my skills as a medical provider in exceptional, empowering, and affirming primary care. I am also a certified HIV Specialist through the American Academy of HIV Medicine.

My areas of expertise include working with LGBTQ+ patients and their families, HIV care, hormone therapy, PrEP/PEP, and trans and non-binary care in a primary care setting.

I have presented on gender affirming care & improving LGBTQIA+ care for local and regional healthcare education programs and medical practices, which has landed me as a premiere consultant and trainer in the field. I served as a member of the University of Louisville Equality Advisory Board. Feedback from this board was integral to the integration of LGBTQ+ curriculum in the School of Medicine at the University of Louisville (2015-2017). When not working as a nurse practitioner and educator, you can find me mountain biking, running, and hiking with my pitbulls and spouse.

Lived experience as a patient and provider