Cancer is a disease when abnormal cells divide uncontrollably and can infiltrate and destroy. It’s a heartbreaking disease that is understandably scary to confront, and with a recent first-of-its-kind study, the American Cancer Society ACS released prevalent cancer screenings and modifiable risk factors in the LGBTQ+ population.
In the study, they find those within the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to smoke cigarettes than heterosexual adults (16% compared to 12% in 2021–2022), with the largest disparity among bisexual women around the ages of 40-49, alongside obesity and alcohol consumption compared to heterosexual and cisgender people. Although these findings suggest cancer disparities and mortality, there isn’t a good estimate of how many people within the community die of cancer due to a lack of documentation of people’s gender identity and sexual orientation in healthcare. A major health disparity faced by the LGBTQ+ communities is the fear of healthcare, with a health provider refusing care due to gender identity or sexual orientation, especially for those who live in the states where it is legal to deny care to lgbtq individuals.
“One of the biggest takeaways from our report is that LGBTQ+ people are probably at higher risk for cancer, yet experience multiple barriers to high-quality healthcare access like discrimination and shortfalls in provider knowledge of their unique medical needs,” says Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, cancer surveillance at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study. “Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to prevent and detect cancer early, which is why it’s so important to remove these roadblocks for this population.”
The American Cancer Society is a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. For more than 110 years, ACS has been working to improve the lives of people with cancer, the organization takes root in combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support. ACS has stated they urge lawmakers and policymakers to address the challenges and barriers, for more inclusive access to healthcare within the LGBTQ community.
