Dana Piccoli tried everything to lose weight.She frequented the gym, went on and off diets and hired a personal trainer. When Piccoli decided to get on a GLP-1, it wasnt a short cut to drop weight it was a way for her to live her life comfortably.When I told someone I was on it, they were like, Im going to the gym because I want to do it the right way, said Piccoli, managing director of queer media collaborative News is Out. Obviously that kind of stung because for me, this is the right way.GLP-1 drugs have caused quite a stir since becoming more integrated into mainstream medicine. The newness of some brands, like Ozempic, have led to stigmas and mistrust surrounding them. These stigmas disproportionately affect the LGBTQ+ community since queer people aremore subject to body dissatisfactionand have more trouble finding accessible healthcare.Through all the noise, however, experts say taking GLP-1s are safe with the right counseling, and LGBTQ+ people could largely benefit from them.So, whats all the ruckus about? Are GLP-1s an easy way out to lose weight? And how do they really impact the LGBTQ+ community?How GLP-1s workGLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1, mimic the actions of a GLP-1 that is released by the gut after eating. It can help people with Type-2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar through the release of insulin, and can help those with obesity by slowing down digestion and, in turn, reducing ones appetite.Like any medication, there are some side effects to consider. Sangeeta Kashyap,assistant chief of clinical affairs at Weill Cornell Medicine, said symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting can occur. However, Kashyap said these side effects are less severe than past GLP-1 brands a reason that contributes to their newfound popularity and can be better managed with proper guidance.Since the drug causes a loss of both fat and muscle loss, she said doctors should inform patients to do strength training to maintain any deteriorating muscle, and to eat high-protein diets, since fatty foods increase the risk of vomiting or nausea.Getting on a GLP-1 isnt just about shedding a few pounds. Kashyap said its a commitment to your health and body, which is why talking with a doctor and understanding the risks are crucial.We give patients appropriate guidelines, Kashyap said. We do blood tests, we monitor things, and give a lot of counseling to these patients. I dont think you could just give the medicine out like candy.Piccoli, who started her GLP-1 journey with her wife, said the medication helped turn off food noise.Your motivation for things, your reward system with food is kind of disabled, Piccoli said. That really helped me understand my relationship with food.Turning down food noiseLosing weight isnt as easy as getting on a GLP-1 and eating less. Piccoli said turning off the food noise in her brain led to a complete lifestyle shift.I had to completely change everything about the way I eat, everything about the way I approach food, she said about her experience taking Mounjaro. This has been one of the hardest things Ive ever done.Kashyap said the lifestyle change that comes with taking a GLP-1 is why its important to consult a doctor first to understand how it could affect you not just physically, but also emotionally.Kashyap said she sees higher rates of mental health disorders in transgender women, a community that already faces more barriers in finding accessible healthcare.This could lead to someone getting on the drug for the wrong reasons, Kashyap said. She noted that those with eating disorders or body dysmorphia could face more severe side effects. Body dysmorphia and body image concerns are already an issue for the LGBTQ+ community, Kashyap said, so prescribing GLP-1s needs to be handled with care.One way to ethically prescribe a GLP-1 to a patient would be to conduct a mental health screening, according to Kashyap. Mental health screenings arent required to get on a GLP-1, but Kashyap said they would be beneficial to patients who may be prone to negative effects by taking the drug.Although some people may see more severe side effects, Caroline Apovian,co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Womens Hospital,said GLP-1s are a completely safe and rigorously tested drug.If a person faces negative side effects from taking a GLP-1, its more about how their body or brain is reacting to it than the drug itself being unsafe.Any kind of weight loss is going to affect your mood, either positively or negatively, Apovian said.Financial barriersWith the queer community already facing increased barriers to healthcare, theres another issue to consider: GLP-1s arent cheap.Depending on where you get it from and whether or not insurance covers it, you could pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a limited supply.Piccoli said she paid out of pocket and had to make sacrifices for her and her wife to both get on a GLP-1.I didnt renew my car lease, Piccoli said. We decided to go down to one car so that we had some extra income monthly to be able to pay for it.On the other hand, Matt, who requested to be identified only by his first name due to the sensitivity of the topic, said he was shocked at how easy it was to get the cost of his GLP-1 covered by insurance. He had been warned by his doctor about the difficulty of getting it covered, and expected an uphill battle.[My doctor] wrote out the prescription for me, and on my way home, I got a text message from the drugstore saying it was ready to go, said Matt, whos lost 48 pounds on Ozempic since June 2024.Matt said experiences like his, although not the standard, are why its important to talk with your doctor about getting on a GLP-1 and see for yourself rather than taking advice from social media stigmas.Kashyap said the drug is also becoming more accessible through websites like Lilly, which provide vials for about $300-500. While that isnt pocket change, its significantly cheaper than retail pharmacies.You may have to make sacrifices like Piccoli did, but getting access to modern GLP-1s for weight loss isnt only for the Hollywood elites like it seemed to be a few years ago.Relief for the LGBTQ+ communityThrough all the social stigmas and uncertainty, Kashyap and Apovian agreed that GLP-1s are a major benefit for the queer community.Trans women have increased rates of obesity, Type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, according to Kashyap. Estrogen treatments increase fat mass and insulin resistance, leading to higher obesity rates in trans women. Kashyap said GLP-1s could be helpful in mitigating those effects.GLP-1s also reduce alcohol cravings, so Kashyap noted that anyone struggling with alcoholism may see improvements with that condition upon getting on the drug.The bottom lineGetting on a GLP-1 isnt the walk in the park some may make you believe it is its a lifestyle change and health commitment.But its also a change that can provide good and healthy results if you seek the appropriate guidance from a professional.While social stigmas in the queer community may lead to misinformation on who should use it and what it should be used for, GLP-1s are safe and can be a much-needed relief for a community facing significant healthcare obstacles.The post GLP-1s can help address LGBTQ+ healthcare barriers: experts appeared first on News Is Out.