Gay men are twice as likely to have had and survived cancer than heterosexual men, according to a new study published Monday in the medical journal Cancer. It’s important to note that the study does not say that gay men are more likely to develop cancer, and the reason for the findings are unknown, as there is very little data available to researchers on gay men and lesbians. The study was limited to three years of surveys completed by more than 120,000 California residents.
Lesbians, the study found, did not have higher rates of cancer than their heterosexual peers, but reported poorer health after having had cancer.
Ulrike Boehmer, the study’s author from Boston University School of Public Health, notes that HIV, which has links to cancer, may play a role, but also notes that gay men and lesbians have higher rates of tobacco and alcohol usage, which are serious cancer risk factors.
“The survey interviews ‘survivors’ so is not a true representation of the number of cancer cases,” the BBC reports, adding Boehmer “said it was not possible to conclude ‘gay men have a higher risk of cancer’ because the underlying reasons for the higher incidence could be more complicated.”
Being gay is not a risk factor, but gays may be less welcomed by some medical professionals, or have different access to health care. For instance, the right to marry, denied to most same-sex couples, also limits access to health care, as one same-sex partner may not be allowed on the other’s insurance plan, or the cost may be greater than if the couple were heterosexual and had their marriage legally recognized.
“One common explanation for why lesbian and bisexual women report worse health compared to heterosexual women is minority stress [which] suggests lesbian and bisexual women have worse health, including psychological health due to their experiences of discrimination, prejudice, and violence,” Boehmer said.
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