The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will begin collecting health data on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, according to an HHS statement. By 2013, HHS will add questions on sexual orientation into national surveys and begin a process to collect data on gender identity. HHS also will be refining standards for data collection by race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status. All of these changes are intended to contribute to ending health disparities such as disproportionate HIV/AIDS rates.

To read the HHS statement, click here.