Center for Population Research in L G B T Health

improving health for sexual and gender minorities

Welcome!

Over the past three decades, a growing cadre of scientists has painstakingly built the knowledge base around LGBT health concerns. It is now widely acknowledged that sexual and gender minority groups experience health disparities as a result of multiple socio-cultural factors. Studies have shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations have higher prevalence of life-threatening physical and mental health conditions, experience barriers to health care access, and face substantial threats to quality of life.

The Center for Population Research in LGBT Health supports and stimulates research to fill critical knowledge gaps related to the health of sexual and gender minorities, strengthening the foundation for culturally competent treatment and behavior change models. Our scientific vision is to create an infrastructure that will support the collaborative work of LGBT health researchers and integrate intellectual and methodological expertise in the interdisciplinary fields of LGBT health and population research. We aim for a synergistic increase in productivity as a result. The Center supports the work of collaborating scientists and partner organizations by creating opportunities to meet and plan further research, formalizing a mentorship process for junior scientists, making datasets available for further studies, and creating a platform for ongoing communication and shared projects among the group.

Featured Findings

Lesbians Have Lower Rates of Cancer Screening, Higher Risks

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Research evidence from a three city community cancer project shows that lesbian women have higher behavior risk factors for cervical cancer including early onset of sexual activity, more sexual partners, and lower rates of safe sexual practices. The study also found that lesbian women reported less frequent gynecological cancer screening than their heterosexual counterparts. (more) Researchers used data from a survey of 829 women conducted by the Chicago Lesbian Community Cancer Project from 1994 to 1996.

  • Lesbian participants were recruited from Chicago, IL, New York City, NY and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
  • Heterosexual participants were recruited via a matched referral method to generate a demographically similar group of heterosexual women for comparison

The study found the following relationships:

  • Lesbians had higher rates of behavior risks for gynecological cancer than heterosexual women, including: onset of sexual activity before age 18, higher number of sexual partners, and lower rates of safer sex practices
  • Lesbians had lower rates of frequent gynecological cancer screening than heterosexual women; 49% of lesbians had annual pap screens compared to 66% of heterosexual women and 81% of lesbians had pap screens at least every 3 years compared to 90% of heterosexual women (p<.001)
  • While not statistically significant, a higher proportion of heterosexual women (31%) reported ever having an abnormal pap result, compared to lesbian women (25%).

(Source: Matthews A.K. et al., 2004, "Correlates of Underutilization of Gynecological Cancer Screening Among Lesbian and Heterosexual Women," Preventative Medicine, Volume 38, pp. 105-113.)

For Further Thought

  • What might contribute to the disparity in cancer screening between lesbian and heterosexual women?
  • Does this study challenge your assumptions about sexual risk behaviors in lesbians?
  • How would you design an intervention to educate the lesbian community about cancer risks and cancer screening?

 

 

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