Glossary

A

Adherence

The degree to which an individual takes a medication regularly as prescribed or follows a treatment plan.

Affordable Care Act

The health reform law enacted in 2010.

Anus

The opening between the buttocks through which solid waste matter (feces) leaves the body

B

BDSM

An overlapping abbrevation of Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS), Sadism and Masochism (SM)

Biopsy

A procedure to remove a small sample of body tissue or fluid to be examined for presence of disease. Biopsies can be done surgically, or a needle can be used to obtain the tissue sample.

Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers, written as a ratio. The top (and higher) number, or systolic, which is also the higher of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats (when the heart muscle contracts). The bottom (and lower) number, or diastolic, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats (when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood). The ideal range is more than 90 over 60 (90/60) and less than 120 over 80 (120/80).

BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. A high BMI can be an indicator of high body fatness. BMI can be used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems but it is not diagnostic of the body fatness or health of an individual.

Bottom

A person who prefers to be penetrated during sexual activity.

Box

A slang term for the anus or vagina.

Butch Queen

A male that is neither extremely feminine, nor extrememly masculine and can easily portray both mannerisms.

C

Cisgender

Individuals who have a match between the gender they were assigned at birth, their bodies, and their personal identity. Non-transgender.

Clinical Trial

A medical study to determine whether a new drug or drug combination, assay, device, or procedure is safe and/or effective. To learn more about the clinical trial process and different clinical trial phases, click here: http://betablog.org/guide-clinical-trials-part-i-understanding-clinical-studies/

Clock(ed)

The act of finding out information.

Co-Pay

A form of medical cost-sharing in a health insurance plan that requires the member to pay a fixed dollar amount for each visit to a doctor or for a specific service. This fee is pre-set; it will be specified in the health insurance policy and also may be listed on the insurance card.

Coin

Money, cash

Colonoscopy

A visual exam of the large intestine (rectum and colon) performed with a flexible fiberoptic scope. Colonoscopies can be performed as a screening test for colon cancer, and may be used to diagnose and treat other conditions.

Covered Services

The medical services, procedures, prescription drugs and other healthcare services that your insurer pays for under your plan. Keep in mind that not all care is covered. For instance, some plans will not pay for medications that are available over the counter. And, even if a service is covered, you may still need to pay a co-payment or co-insurance, request pre-authorization, or get a referral from your primary care physician before your insurer will pay. Your policy should contain a detailed list of what is and is not covered.

CT Scan

Sometimes called a CAT scan; x-ray technology is used to provide detailed pictures of the inside of the body. A CT scan generates a clearer image than a regular x-ray.

D

Depression

Depression is characterized by depressed or sad mood, diminished interest in activities which used to be pleasurable, weight gain or loss, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, inappropriate guilt, difficulties concentrating, as well as recurrent thoughts of death. But depression is more than a “bad day”; diagnostic criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association dictate that five or more of the above symptoms must be present for a continuous period of at least two weeks.1 As an illness, depression falls within the spectrum of affective disorders

E

Electro play

A sexual practice involving the application of electrical stimulation to the nerves of the body, with particular emphasis on the genitals

F

Fish(y)

Feminine, often used to describe transgender women who are perceived socially as cisgender.

Fisting

Inserting an entire hand into a partner's anus

Flip flop(ping)

A sexual practice in which partners take turns in top/bottom sexual roles.

Freaky

During sexual activity, engaging in behavior that falls outside of common sexual norms.

Frottage

Non-penetrative sex or outercourse, usually involving direct penis-to-penis contact.

G

Gagging

Used when something is so fierce you can't help but wanting to gag from the overload of extreme fierceosity.

Genderqueer

A genderqueer person is a person who does not identify as either a woman or a man.

Girl, Bye

A term used to dismiss a comment or an accusation by another person.

Glans

The "head" of a penis.

Grindr

Location-based mobile app for gay, bi, and curious men to meet. Uses GPS technology in mobile phones to determine your exact location and instantly connect you with guys in your area. View pictures, stats, and map locations at a tap. A popular app among White MSM.

H

Head (oral)

Oral sex

Healthcare Professional

A physician, dentist, nurse, physician assistant, or any other individual who is licensed or certified as required in his or her state and is performing services within the scope of that license or certification.

House

LGBTQ groups which band together under a "house mother" (sometimes a drag queen or transgender person) or "house father".

HSV-1 and HSV-2

Herpes simplex viruses -- more commonly known as herpes -- are categorized into two types: herpes type 1 (HSV-1, or oral herpes) and herpes type 2 (HSV-2, or genital herpes). Most commonly, herpes type 1 causes sores around the mouth and lips (sometimes called fever blisters or cold sores). HSV-1 can cause genital herpes, but most cases of genital herpes are caused by herpes type 2. In HSV-2, the infected person may have sores around the genitals or rectum. Although HSV-2 sores may occur in other locations, these sores usually are found below the waist.

I

Impact Play

Sexual practice in which a person who has given specific, informed consent is struck for sexual gratification. Includes slapping and spanking.

In-Network

Refers to treatment from doctors, clinics, health centers, hospitals, medical practices, and other providers with whom your plan has an agreement to provide care for its members. Usually, you will pay less out of your own pocket when you receive treatment from in-network providers.

Internal Anal Sphincter

A muscular ring that surrounds a portion of the anal canal.

J

Jack’d

Location based mobile for gay, bi, and curious men to meet. Uses GPS technology in mobile phones to determine your exact location and instantly connect you with guys in your area. View pictures, stats, and map locations at a tap. A popular app among Black MSM.

M

Masturbation

The sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm.

Mothers and Fathers

The gay man (or sometimes transgender woman) who took you under their wing and taught you about Black gay/transgender culture.

O

On Tour

When a commercial sex worker or member of the ballroom community is traveling to various cities to work or walk in balls.

Oral swab

Procedure used to collect tissue or fluids from the oral cavity, or mouth by rubbing the gums or inside the cheek to obtain a sample. These types of swabs are generally used for DNA testing, medical diagnosis, and drug testing.

Out-of-Network

Refers to treatment from doctors, clinics, health centers, hospitals, medical practices, and other providers that do not have an agreement with your health insurer to provide care to its members. You typically will pay more out of your own pocket when you receive treatment from out-of-network providers.

P

Pap Smear

A screening test for cervical or anal cancer

Penis

Male genitalia

PEP

Short for “post-exposure prophylaxis.” PEP is an HIV-prevention strategy in which a person exposed to HIV takes medications to reduce the risk of HIV infection. PEP must be started within 72 hours after HIV exposure.

Pre-existing condition

A health condition that exists for a set time before enrollment in a health plan, regardless of whether the condition has been formally diagnosed. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers and employer-sponsored health plans from denying or limiting coverage to individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

PrEP

Short for “pre-exposure prophylaxis.” PrEP is an HIV-prevention strategy in which HIV-negative people take a pill once a day to reduce their risk of HIV infection. PrEP must be taken for at least 7 days before exposure to HIV to reach optimal levels of protection against the virus.

Primary Care Physician (PCP)

A family doctor, internist, or pediatrician who coordinates your care or your family’s care. Some types of health plans require that you visit your PCP first for any care that you need. But even if you’re not required to use a PCP, it’s a good idea to develop a relationship with a primary care doctor who knows your medical history and can make sure you’re getting the care you need.

Prostate

Part of the male reproductive system; a gland that produces and stores seminal fluid, the milky liquid that forms part of semen. An enlarged prostate usually causes difficulty in urination, because the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) runs through the prostate gland.

R

Realness

Someone who is perceived as something

Rimming

Oral stimulation of a partner's anus

S

Scruff

Location-based mobile app for gay, bi, and curious men to meet. Uses GPS technology in mobile phones to determine your exact location and instantly connect you with guys in your area. View pictures, stats, and map locations at a tap. A popular app among the kink community and transgender MSM.

Shade

Acting in a casual or disrespectful manner towards someone/dissing a friend - could also be thrown in love and no malice

Slay

To succeed; how someone may respond when something outlandish or surprising is said.

T

Tea/T

Information; news; gossip

Testicle

Either of the two oval organs that produce sperm in men and other male mammals, enclosed in the scrotum behind the penis.

Thot

Slut-shaming term used to refer to someone as a whore. Also an abbreviation for "that hoe over there."

Top

A person who prefers to penetrate during sexual activity.

Trade

A masculine gay man that is not readily perceived as gay.

Transgender

Denoting or relating to a person whose self-identity does not conform unambiguously to conventional notions of male or female gender. A trans woman is a transgender person who was assigned male at birth but whose gender identity is that of a woman. A trans man is a transgender person who was assigned female at birth but whose gender identity is that of a man.

Truvada

This brand-name drug combines tenofovir (Viread) and emtricitabine (Emtriva) into one pill and is made by Gilead Sciences. It has been used by HIV-positive people to treat HIV disease since 2004, and currently is the only pill approved for PrEP for HIV-negative people.

U

Urethra

A tube that carries urine from the body.

V

Verse

A person who is comfortable penetrating or being penetrated during sexual activity.

Viral Load

Amount of HIV in a sample of blood from a person living with HIV. When your viral load is high, you have more HIV in your body, and that means your immune system is not fighting HIV as well.

W

Wax play

Dripping liquid wax on exposed skin to heighten sensitivity