Cancer Information
Cancer affects LGBTQIA+ people across every community, identity, and stage of life. Often, our experiences are overlooked or misunderstood in healthcare settings. Differences in cancer outcomes are not caused by who we are, but by barriers to care, gaps in research, and systems that were not built with LGBTQIA+ people in mind.
Lifestyle Risk Factors
LGBTIQA+ individuals have a higher chance of being diagnosed with cancer than heterosexual and cisgender people.
Common lifestyle risk factors for the LGBTQIA+ communities are:
Tobacco Use
Data suggests that LGBTQIA+ individuals smoke tobacco products at a substantially higher rate than heterosexual and cisgender individuals.
Alcohol Use
Some research reports higher rates of heavy drinking among the LGBTQIA+ communities
Obesity
Some studies report that LGBTQIA+ individuals have higher rates of being overweight and having poor eating habits
Health Disparities
Health-related disparities disproportionately impact LGBTQIA+ communities.
Health disparities in the LGBTQIA+ communities are caused by multiple factors. The disparities are caused by a combination of social/economic factors and behaviors, many of which can be traced to the stress of living as a sexual/gender minority in this country.
These include:
Being uninsured or underinsured
LGBTQIA+ people are less likely to have medical insurance than heterosexual and cisgender people
Mental health struggles
LGBTQIA+ people are twice as likely to have mental health conditions like anxiety and depression than heterosexual and cisgender people
Barriers to care
LGBTQIA+ people are less likely to have health insurance and regularly report unmet needs as a result of the cost of care
Affirming care
Transgender individuals may not be covered for any procedure or cancer screenings that are inconsistent with the gender marked on the insurance card, such as a pap smear for a transgender man with an intact cervix
Medical mistrust and unwelcoming environments
One out of 5 transgender patients has been turned away by a health care provider. On average, medical students receive under 5 hours of training on LGBTQIA+ issues in their entire medical education.
