Several factors put gays, lesbians, and bisexuals at higher risk for cancer.

To help raise awareness, we have created three brochures for the GLBT community that can be downloaded from this site.

Some of the risk factors for the GLBT population include lack of insurance policies covering unmarried partners, which makes it harder to access quality health care. Also, fear or past experience of discrimination by health care providers may cause some men and women to ignore recommended screenings for such things as colon, breast, and prostate cancer. This may prevent cancers from being detected early, when they are much easier to treat.

Recent research suggests that the GLBT population is more likely to smoke, increasing their risk for lung cancer. Tobacco use kills at least 30,000 gay and lesbian people each year in the United States. In addition, lesbian and bisexual women tend to get fewer mammograms and pelvic exams than heterosexual women.

The GLBT Advisory Board of the American Cancer Society works with diverse community-based organizations, health professionals, advocates, and consumers to identify and remove barriers to care and promote culturally competent standards of practice for health care and support services.

Approximately 7.5% of the U.S. population is gay or lesbian.

“Health service providers need to be aware of these increased risks,”says Jodi Sperber, MSW, MPH, a member of the American Cancer Society’s GLBT Advisory Board.

“To date, there is almost nothing out there regarding transgender populations and cancer. This needs to change.”

Early detection is the best defense in the fight against cancer. If you’d like more information about the American Cancer Society’s GLBT Advisory Board, or to receive color brochures with cancer information specific to the GLBT community, please call 1-800-ACS-2345.

Tobacco and the GLBT Community

Facts For Gay and Bisexual Men

Cancer Facts for Lesbian and Bisexual Women