Lesbian Health Issues (continued)

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Diet & Exercise
Some studies suggest lesbians are more likely to be overweight than heterosexual women, which can put them at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and other health problems. Preliminary information from the Women’s Health Initiative suggests that a greater proportion of lesbians are above the overweight threshold when Body Mass Index is calculated (52.3% of lesbians compared to 45.8% of heterosexual women). Obesity is associated with higher rates of heart disease, cancer and premature death. Lesbians need to seek sound sources of advice about healthy eating and exercise.

Heart Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. Among lesbians, smoking and obesity are prevalent risk factors for heart disease. Annual clinical exams are vital to identifying and treating heart disease.

Osteoporosis
Lesbians as a whole exhibit several risk factors for osteoporosis, including alcohol and tobacco use and lack of weight-bearing exercise. Lesbians should follow the same osteoporosis and bone density screening guidelines as all women. Talk to your health care provider.

Pregnancy & Parenting
Lesbians appear to be less likely to report having biological children than heterosexual women. However, there are still substantial numbers of lesbian women who are parents, particularly through artificial insemination or adoption. There is little research on how many lesbians are mothers or the number of individuals who have lesbian mothers. In the Women’s Health Initiative sample, lesbians are less likely to ever have been pregnant than were heterosexual women. These differences were particularly pronounced for lifetime lesbians of whom 34.1% had previously been pregnant, compared to 61.2% of the “mature” lesbians (those who came out later) and 89.1% of the heterosexual women. The large percentage of lesbians who choose not to bear children may be at higher risk for breast cancer, endometriosis, and fibroids.

Lesbians are also less likely to report having used oral contraceptives between the ages of 25 and 35 (only 16.7%), which may put them at greater risk for breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers.

See a Provider Regularly
Basically, lesbians need access to the same health screenings and preventive care as all women. Our possible higher risk for some diseases makes this even more important. Please use this resource guide to select a provider, and visit him or her regularly.

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Resources
American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists www.acog.org

Gay & Lesbian Medical Association
www.glma.org

Lambda Gay & Lesbian Antiviolence Project
www.lambda.org/DV_background.htm

National Women’s Health Information Center (Office on Women’s Health)
1-800-994-WOMAN
www.4woman.gov

Office of Research on Women’s Health
National Institutes of Health
www4.od.nih.gov/orwh

Planned Parenthood
www.plannedparenthood.org

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health. IOM Report: Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and Directions for the Future. Andrea L. Solarz, Editor. Institute of Medicine. Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Violence Against Women Online Resources
www.vaw.umn.edu/documents/glbtdv/glbtdv.html