It's an urban myth that lesbians can't get cervical cancer.
It can be prevented if it's detected early enough through regular cervical smear tests. Health checks for lesbian women Cervical cancer screening for lesbiansĪround 2,800 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. Screening and testing saves lives and is vital to detect certain conditions early, some of which may be more common in gay people - for example, breast cancer.įor more information, see our articles on screening and testing. This could be because of fear of discrimination, or because they simply don't think they're at risk. Illnesses such as cancer can affect anyone, whether you're gay or straight.īut some gay men and lesbians may be less likely to have screening and testing than heterosexuals. Research suggests gay men and lesbians are less likely to have routine screening tests than heterosexuals.