SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) -- LGBTQ patients afflicted with inflammatory bowel disease now have a place to turn in the Bay Area that is tailored to their specific needs.
This summer, Dr. Justin Field, a gastroenterologist who specializes in inflammatory bowel diseases, founded a new UCSF clinic specializing in treating LGBTQ patients with IBD, which affects some 2 million to 3 million Americans. His goal was to create a safe space for LGBTQ patients seeking care for IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and colitis.
"Inflammatory bowel disease is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune cells, they attack the lining of the colon and small intestine. It can affect anywhere in the digestive system from the mouth to the anus," Dr. Field told KCBS Radio's Bret Burkhart on this week's episode of "As Prescribed."
"It can be very debilitating," he added. "It can be particularly distressing for folks that use their rectum as part of their [sex] life because of the inflammation in that area. And there's a lot of stigma that's associated with that. So a clinic like this helps break down that barrier. We can have open and honest conversations."
The UCSF Rainbow IBD Clinic, located at Mount Zion Hospital, is the first dedicated IBD clinic for LGBTQ folks on the West Coast and the second in the nation.
"This is a specialized clinic within our IBD center and offering tailored care for LGBTQ folks with IBD. It's really important because LGBT[Q] individuals have unique needs that the general provider might not be fully aware of and may not have expertise or a comfort level in communicating and treating," Field said.
"LGBTQ folks are at risk for other things that go along with IBD. Gay and bisexual men, transgender patients are at increased risk for anal cancer, anal squamous cell cancer, which is also increased in folks with IBD. So it's even more important for providers to have awareness of this and for patients to be able to be screened for that," he added.
In a condition like inflammatory bowel disease, there's often a need for very routine regular care and interaction with the health care system, and in many cases that can be an unpleasant experience. But Dr. Field said it's imperative to make it as seamless as possible so that people can have the best outcomes for their IBD.
"It's an honor to be able to provide this service for the community. The clinic has been open since June and the numbers are small so far," Dr. Field said. "I'm hoping to spread the word so that people in Northern California can know about it. We offer video visits so that people living farther away from San Francisco don't have to drive all the way down."
Listen to this week's "As Prescribed" to learn more. You can also listen to last week's episode to hear about the single best way to prevent getting sick with the flu, here.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
“As Prescribed” is sponsored by UCSF.