30th November 2007, 07:35 am
Many lesbians and bisexual women suffer from a variety of weight-related problems. According to a 2006 study by the University of California, bisexual women were more than twice as likely to have had an eating disorder compared to lesbians and straight women. Weight problems can put lesbian and bisexual women at risk for breast and uterine cancer.
“When people are overweight, they have higher circulating estrogen. Estrogen is stored in our fat cells and increased estrogen puts women at increased risk for breast and endometrial cancer,” Catherine Williamson, family nurse practition at Southhampton Health Cancer said. www.thevitalvoice.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000020/002042.htm
29th November 2007, 07:34 am
Among gay men, there has been increased concern in the medical community over the spread of both hepatitis C and human papilloma virus or HPV. Hepatitis C attacks the liver and is associated with liver cancer. Spread of the virus through unprotected sex is rare but possible, and approximately 80 percent of those infected exhibit no symptoms. Among gay men, HPV infection can lead to anal cancer.
“Right now the rates of anal cancer are roughly the same as the rates for cervical cancer were before the medical community began giving regular pap tests,” Joel Ginsberg, executive director for the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, said. “There’s a lot of talk [in the medical community] about doing anal pap tests or recommending them for men who have sex with men, men who are having receptive anal intercourse and particularly those who are HIV positive.”
http://www.thevitalvoice.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000020/002042.htm
27th November 2007, 07:14 am
A study by Dr Suzanne Haynes, (quoted in various contemporary studies) attempted to identify some factors that could increase the risk of breast cancer for lesbian women. She based her results on the information available at the time which was sourced from interviews with lesbians who frequented gay bars in the 1950s, a time from which many of the ’stereotypical traits’ of dykes originated, notably obesity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. Many of these ‘attributes’ of lesbians are now very dated! Lifestyles have changed. Breast cancer studies of the general population have suggested that excessive alcohol and obesity may contribute to the development of breast cancer but these days, itseems unlikely that lesbians, as a group, can be singled out as having a greater risk due to these factors. What do you think? Leave a comment with your thoughts.
http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/35/article_5249.php
26th November 2007, 03:59 pm
Not everyone agrees that smoking is higher within the LGBT community. In Michigan, David Jaques, president of Respecting Individuals on Neutral Grounds, or RING, said the number of LGBT and heterosexual smokers seems to be proportionate.
“It’s like saying gay people ride more bikes than straight people — there’s not a correlation in my mind,” he said.
The difference in generations also should be taken into account, Jaques said. Older people seem to smoke more than younger people, he said.
Mandi Rabe, a member of People Respecting the Individuality of Students at Michigan State University, or PRISM, said she doesn’t see the LGBT community as being affected by smoking more than any other population.
“I think it’s still a stereotype that the queer population does more drugs,” said Rabe, a political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore. “With my own involvement in the community, I don’t see it any more. Clearly out of all the stereotypes, it’s one of the least worrisome — but it’s still something that needs to be dealt with.”
http://www.statenews.com/index.php/trackback/3351
25th November 2007, 01:01 pm
Vincent M. B. Silenzio, MD, MPH, says that recent studies seem to support the notion that gay men use tobacco at much higher rates than straight men, reaching nearly 50 percent in several studies. Tobacco-related health problems include lung disease and lung cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and a whole host of other serious problems. All gay men should be screened for and offered culturally sensitive prevention and cessation programs for tobacco use.
24th November 2007, 04:19 am
Anal Papilloma: Of all the sexually transmitted infections gay men are at risk for, human papilloma virus -which cause anal and genital warts - is often thought to be little more than an unsightly inconvenience. However, these infections may play a role in the increased rates of anal cancers in gay men. Some health professionals now recommend routine screening with anal Pap Smears, similar to the test done for women to detect early cancers. Safe sex should be emphasized. Treatments for HPV do exist, but recurrences of the warts are very common, and the rate at which the infection can be spread between partners is very high.
23rd November 2007, 01:09 pm
Hepatitis Immunization: Men who have sex with men are at an increased risk of sexually transmitted infection with the viruses that cause the serious condition of the liver known as hepatitis. These infections can be potentially fatal, and can lead to very serious long-term issues such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Fortunately, immunizations are available to prevent two of the three most serious viruses. Universal immunization for Hepatitis A Virus and Hepatitis B Virus is often recommended for all men who have sex with men. Safe sex is effective at reducing the risk of viral hepatitis, and is currently the only means of prevention for the very serious Hepatitis C Virus.
21st November 2007, 10:57 am
LGBT CANCER is part of Malecare’s LGBT cancer project, OutWithCancer. Here, you will find patient and doctor written articles about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people diagnosed with cancer. Safe, warm and caring, Malecare’s LGBT cancer project is focused helping you with community, knowledge and action. Also, please visit our LGBT cancer project social network, OutWithCancer and our home site, Malecare Cancer Support .
