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Obesity is a risk factor for multiple disease outcomes, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. A healthy diet and physically active lifestyle can prevent obesity. Sexual orientation is an important demographic factor that has been suggested to affect engagement in health-related behaviors, and interventions developed for the general population of women are likely to be less effective in assisting sexual minority women to make healthy choices. We conducted seven focus groups with sexual minority women (i.e., lesbians and bisexual women) to explore issues, including barriers and motivations, regarding healthy eating, physical activity, and weight in this population. The participants reported a wide range of levels of engagement in health-related behaviors. While nearly all of the participants reported some awareness of the importance of good dietary choices, the majority reported some confusion about what constitutes a healthy diet. In contrast, the majority of participants seemed clearly aware that regular exercise was important for good health. These data can guide the design of effective intervention strategies to improve health behaviors in sexual minority women. KEYWORDS. Sexual minority women, obesity, intervention design, focus groups

Recent research on crystal methamphetamine use among gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men (MSM) in the greater New York City metropolitan area indicates that crystal meth use is rising in this population and that it is correlated to increased risk for HIV, addiction, medical and mental disorders. Prevention and treatment of crystal meth related problems that are sensitive to the needs of MSM populations must be further developed to address this emerging crisis. Gay-identified community-based programs provide a viable resource within which to develop and deliver such services but will need more resources and funding to meet the growing demand. KEYWORDS. AIDS, bisexual men, community based organization, crystal meth, gay men, harm reduction, HIV, homosexuality, men having sex with men (MSM), methamphetamine, substance abuse, transtheoretical model