Understanding lesbians’ mammography utilization

Lauver, Diane; Karon, Sarita L.; Egan, Judith; Jacobson, Miriam R.; Nugent, Joan; Settersten, Lori; Shaw, Victoria

doi:10.1016/s1049-3867(99)00024-9

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…16 Even moderate consumption of alcohol has been associated with modestly higher rates of breast cancer 50 and other negative health outcomes for women. 51 Our results confirm and extend earlier findings from small studies, [1][2][3]8,11,18,19,22,23,30,32,48,49 underscoring current concerns that behavioral risk factors for breast or gynecologic cancers are more common in the lesbian population. Despite these results, we failed to observe higher rates of self-reported positive breast cancer histories after adjusting for demographic confounders.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Whereas many women experience wellknown barriers to mammography screening, lesbians face, in addition, unique issues of access and use, including negative experiences with health care practitioners and mistrust of the health care community. 49 Furthermore, lesbians and bisexual women may be more likely to consume alcohol and evidence higher rates of problematic use than other women. Previous work has shown that lesbians tend to have drinking patterns more typical of men than of women 14,15 and that women who report same-sex sex partners in the previous year are more likely than heterosexually active women to meet diagnostic criteria for probable alcohol dependency.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Cancer-related risk indicators and preventive screening behaviors among lesbians and bisexual women

et al. 2001

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A B S T R A C TObjectives. This study examined whether lesbians are at increased risk for certain cancers as a result of an accumulation of behavioral risk factors and difficulties in accessing health care.Methods. Prevalence estimates of behavioral risk factors (nulliparity, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use), cancer screening behaviors, and self-reported breast cancer histories derived from 7 independently conducted surveys of lesbians/bisexual women (n = 11 876) were compared with national estimates for women.Results. In comparison with adjusted estimates for the US female population, lesbians/bisexual women exhibited greater prevalence rates of obesity, alcohol use, and tobacco use and lower rates of parity and birth control pill use. These women were also less likely to have health insurance coverage or to have had a recent pelvic examination or mammogram. Self-reported histories of breast cancer, however, did not differ from adjusted US female population estimates.Conclusions. Lesbians and bisexual women differ from heterosexual women in patterns of health risk. These women would be expected to be at especially greater risk for chronic diseases linked to smoking and obesity. Whether or not lesbians are at higher risk than other women for breast and gynecologic cancer is an emerging controversy.1-8 A recent Institute of Medicine report 9 documented the potential for double to triple the risk of breast cancer, in particular, among lesbians in comparison with other women. Possible reasons are greater prevalence rates of known reproductive-related risk factors, including nulliparity or older age at first childbirth, 10-12 and behavioral risk factors, including more frequent alcohol consumption [13][14][15][16] and perhaps obesity.11,17 Although none of these individual risk factors is exclusive to lesbians, the possible concentration of these risks within a single group is unique.Coupled with worries about patterns of higher risk are concerns that lesbians may be less likely than heterosexual women to use preventive cancer-related screening services such as mammography or Papanicolaou (Pap) tests. 1,11,18,19 Lower rates of screening, if they exist, might result in later detection of cancers, thereby increasing morbidity and mortality rates. 20 Several factors have been hypothesized as barriers to the use of routine screening in this population, including experiences with discrimination in health care settings, lower rates of insurance in the absence of the safety net of spousal health benefits, and fewer cues, such as contraceptive needs, to trigger seeking of routine gynecologic care. 1,9,19,[21][22][23] Nevertheless, little is known empirically about behavioral risks in this population.9 Most existing surveys of lesbian health and health care behaviors have relied on relatively small convenience samples drawn from local community settings without heterosexual controls. Methodological barriers to population-based sampling are daunting, given that lesbians represent both a hidden and a small subpopulation, est...

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer-related risk indicators and preventive screening behaviors among lesbians and bisexual women

et al. 2001

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, lesbians have higher rates of alcohol use and smoking [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] as well as obesity 17,18 compared to heterosexual women. In addition, lesbians are less likely to seek out and use preventive health care and screening than heterosexual women, 17,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26] including critical screenings such as Pap smears and mammograms. In addition, lesbians are less likely to seek out and use preventive health care and screening than heterosexual women, 17,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26] including critical screenings such as Pap smears and mammograms.…”

Section: Health Risks For Lesbian Older Adultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Higher rates of smoking, alcohol use, obesity, and lower parity rates among lesbians increase their risks for a wide range of cancers and chronic diseases 19 that can greatly affect their aging. 21,24,27 Furthermore, older lesbians' lifelong experiences of discrimination create perceptions of vulnerability and have an impact on health. 21,24,27 Furthermore, older lesbians' lifelong experiences of discrimination create perceptions of vulnerability and have an impact on health.…”

Section: Health Risks For Lesbian Older Adultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I Will Not Be Discriminated Against”

Gabrielson

2011

Advances in Nursing Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) older adults fear discrimination in long-term care and voice a preference for LGBT-specific services. The purpose of this study was to describe, through the eyes of 10 socially interconnected older lesbians (>55 years), the roles that life experiences, social ties, and expectations for aging play in their decision to live in an LGBT continuous-care setting. Nursing has been largely inattentive to older lesbians' unique health and care issues. Reforms in nursing research, education, and practice are suggested to make this population more visible and better understood.

show abstract

“…Lauver et al [38] identified personal, patient-practitioner, and healthcare system level barriers to receiving adequate mammography screening as well as reasons for seeking mammography screening. Personal barriers include competing life demands and avoiding negative emotions such as fear or embarrassment; personal factors for seeking mammography were a perceived personal risk of cancer, a desire to take care of oneself and as part of routine health care.…”

Section: Breast Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

Lesbians and cancer: an overlooked health disparity

Brown

Tracy

2008

Cancer Causes Control

153

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This review revealed a lack of research for specific cancers and for specific aspects of the cancer continuum. The limited number of studies identified focused on issues related to screening/prevention in cervical and breast cancers, with almost no attention to incidence, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, survival, morbidity, or mortality. We present implications for social and public health policy, research, and prevention.

show abstract

Understanding lesbians’ mammography utilization

Cited by 22 publications

References 23 publications

Cancer-related risk indicators and preventive screening behaviors among lesbians and bisexual women

Cancer-related risk indicators and preventive screening behaviors among lesbians and bisexual women

“I Will Not Be Discriminated Against”

Lesbians and cancer: an overlooked health disparity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About