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Are Genetic Counselors and GLBT Patients “on the Same Page”? an Investigation of Attitudes, Practices, and Genetic Counseling Experiences

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Journal of Genetic Counseling

Abstract

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) individuals comprise a growing patient population in genetic counseling, yet literature on working with this population is scarce. This study sought to investigate GLBT patient experiences in genetic counseling and genetic counselor attitudes and practices when counseling GLBT patients. Twenty-nine GLB individuals who had previously participated in genetic counseling, and 213 genetic counselors completed online surveys. No individuals identifying as transgender participated. The patient survey assessed disclosure of orientation, discrimination in genetic counseling, and quality of services received. The counselor survey assessed comfort with and attitudes about counseling GLBT patients, disclosure of counselor orientation, and whether they counsel differently with this population. Every patient denied experiencing discrimination during their session, but 17% reported their genetic counselor assumed they were heterosexual, and 45% indicated intake forms were not GLBT-inclusive. A majority of counselors (91%) reported having counseled GLBT patients and indicated they were comfortable doing so (86%), and 72% indicated no differences in their counseling approaches with GLBT patients. Few counselors (17%) received training in GLBT issues, and most (61%) desired such education. Additional findings and practice and research recommendations are presented.

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Notes

  1. Survey available upon request from the authors

  2. Survey available upon request from the authors

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Acknowledgments

This study was completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the first author’s Master of Science degree. The authors would like to thank the individuals who participated in this study for their valuable comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, USA

    Heather Dean Glessner

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, 250 Education Sciences Building, 56 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Erin VandenLangenberg & Patricia McCarthy Veach

  3. Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Bonnie S. LeRoy

Authors
  1. Heather Dean Glessner
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  2. Erin VandenLangenberg
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  3. Patricia McCarthy Veach
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  4. Bonnie S. LeRoy
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Correspondence to Erin VandenLangenberg.

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Glessner, H.D., VandenLangenberg, E., Veach, P.M. et al. Are Genetic Counselors and GLBT Patients “on the Same Page”? an Investigation of Attitudes, Practices, and Genetic Counseling Experiences. J Genet Counsel 21, 326–336 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-011-9403-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-011-9403-8

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