The health issues affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning community are more than just AIDS, a Boston University School of Public Health professor told students Monday at a lecture hosted by Marsh Chapel’s LGBTQ Ministry.

Ulrike Boehmer, a community health sciences assistant professor, discussed the disparities between the LGBTQ community and the heterosexual community when it comes to health issues to about 16 attendees at the School of Education.

Her lecture, which was the third in a part of a four-part series titled ‘OUTlook,’ stressed that there are different health threats for LGBTQ individuals that many don’t realize, such as depression and alcoholism.

‘There’s more to LGBTQ health than HIV,’ Boehmer said.’

Boehmer said people in the LGBTQ community are 40 to 70 percent more likely to smoke and two to three times more likely to attempt suicide.

She also said she thinks the environment and social norms contribute to the higher rates of alcoholism, stress and obesity often found in the LGBTQ community.’

‘Social prejudices create greater amounts of stress, which cause LGBTQs to resort to coping mechanisms such as smoking, drinking and drugs,’ she said.

College of Arts and Sciences junior Arcangelo Cella, a member of the LGBTQ Ministry, said he wanted to expose attendees to another side of the health problems in the LGBTQ community.’

‘When it comes to the issue of gay public health, people often only think of AIDS,’ Cella said. ‘We want to bring other issues to light, like depression and alcoholism.’

College of Communication junior and the co-leader of the LGBTQ Ministry Tyler Sit also said he thinks it’s important to bring the LGBTQ community closer together.

‘We thought it was important for the BU LGBTQ community to receive a better understanding of what it means to be in the LGBTQ culture, both historically and socially,’ he said.’

Boehmer said she hopes that new research concerning the health issues at hand, as well as health care reform, will give equal rights to LGBTQ individuals.

‘I’d like to see more studies done to find the links between the environment and these negative health outcomes,’ she said. ‘And if we get better health care reform that isn’t tied to being in a relationship, that would benefit all.’

Although much of Boehmer’s message was focused on’ health issues facing the LGBTQ community, she ultimately had a message of support and hope.

‘There is a sense of comfort within the community, certainly,’ she said. ‘There is also the hypothesis that those who experience adversity in their lives, like members of the LGBTQ community, may do well with health issues because of their resilience.’

Boehmer emphasized her desire for more future research on the issues.

‘It’s important to raise the status of this community, which goes hand in hand with more funding and more studies,’ she said.’

Cella said the series seeks to clarify misconceptions concerning health issues, and other societal factors concerning the LGBTQ community.’

‘Many people might have misinformation, and even people in the LGBTQ community might have misinformation,’ he said. ‘And this series is providing a context.”