Many Lesbians Not Screened for Cervical Cancer, Study Finds
FRIDAY, Oct. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of routine
screening for cervical cancer is low among lesbians, according
to a new study. More awareness about screening for this type of
cancer among the lesbian community is needed to reduce the risk
for the disease in these patients, the researchers said.
Specifically, improved communication between patients and their
doctors is the key to raising awareness about cancer screenings.
"Despite our knowledge of the value of Pap testing for early
detection of treatable cervical abnormalities, lesbians are one
subset of women who are not getting screened at recommended
rates," said J. Kathleen Tracy, associate professor in the
department of epidemiology and public health at the University
of Maryland School of Medicine. "In fact, nearly 38 percent of
lesbians in our study had not been screened according to
recommended guidelines," Tracy said in a news release from the
American Association for Cancer Research.