Pride Month — June 2023

Pride Month — June 2023

Happy Pride Month!

Pride Month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, the diversity of its members and their experiences. 

When accessing health care, the LGBTQ+ community faces unique barriers:

• LGBTQ+ individuals are less likely to seek health care due to a long history of discrimination against them, including from their health care providers. According to a 2022 survey, 1 in 8 LGBTQ+ Americans say they have experienced discrimination by their provider.¹
• As a result of their negative experiences and the discrimination they have faced, many LGBTQ+ individuals mistrust the health care system. 
• LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to face barriers to health care related to transportation, employment and quality of care.² Compared to heterosexual, cisgender people, members of the LGBTQ+ community also have lower rates of health insurance. 

These barriers and more impact both preventive and essential care, which can result in disparities in cancer risk and treatment. The lack of trust and health insurance leads to delayed or missed routine cancer screenings. This is critical because Early Detection = Better Outcomes. 

Members of the LGBTQ+ community are at an increased risk for cancer for other reasons as well. For example, gay and bisexual men may be at increased risk for skin cancer due to higher rates of indoor tanning. Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults also smoke cigarettes at significantly higher rates than heterosexual adults, which increases their risk of lung cancer as well as some other cancers and illnesses.³ The tobacco industry intentionally targets sexual and gender minority communities, further putting the LGBTQ+ community at risk for cancer. 

The Prevent Cancer Foundation is committed to ensuring everyone can access preventive services and essential care. In 2022, we awarded $250,000 to 10 projects dedicated to increasing cancer prevention and early detection in LGBTQ+ communities across the U.S. to further our goal to reduce cancer deaths by 40% by 2035. 

For more information, including information on cancer screenings, tools to talk to your health care providers and more, explore LGBTQ+-specific resources on our website. 

¹ “1 in 8 LGBTQ+ Americans Discriminated Against by Health Insurer: Survey.” healthcare.com. 5 May 2022. https://www.healthcare.com/lgbtq-health-insurance-survey-2022-24759#full

² “Cancer Facts for Gay and Bisexual Men.” American Cancer Society. 27 Aug 2021. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/cancer-facts/cancer-facts-for-gay-and-bisexual-men.html 

³ “Rising vaping rates among lesbian, gay, and bisexual young people outpace peers, widening tobacco use gap.” truth initiative. 29 Jun. 2022. https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/targeted-communities/rising-vaping-rates-among-lesbian-gay-and-bisexual-young