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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1997)
j u s t o u t ▼ J a n u a ry 1 7 . 1 9 9 7 ▼ 13 cal news orb uarbs Health matters Want to get new customers and retain existing ones? Let us do your newsletter... get great exposure for your advertising dollar! A new task force formed to promote lesbian health has a lot of fresh ideas and wants more—from you V by Inga Sorensen Lewis attributes the apparent lack of educa ou’ve probably heard the dire predic tion among lesbians to denial, as well as the fact tions by now: one in eight women that many health programs simply don’t specifi may experience breast cancer in her lifetime, and lesbians may be at in cally target the lesbian population. And many of the “experts” remain woefully creased risk for getting the disease; risk for breast cancer is increased by not insensitive having or uninformed about lesbian health concerns. children; lesbians of color may be at higher risk at “When I went to get a second opinion, I was an earlier age; risk for breast cancer is increased told to go to this doctor at [Oregon Health Sci by smoking; women’s risk for breast or cervical ences University]. He was considered among the cancer increases with age. best,” Lewis recounts, adding that the physician Unsettling realities indeed. But did you also presented the standard biased questions about know that when breast and cervical cancer is birth control. found at the earliest stages, the cure rate ap “When I told him I didn’t use it and I was a proaches 100 percent? Or that there are free health lesbian, that’s all he wanted to talk about— me screenings available to many women? Or that being a lesbian, that is,” she says. “I said, ‘Listen, there is a way for lesbians interested in taking an I’m not here because I’m a lesbian, I’m here active role in their personal—and community ’ s— health to do just that? because I have breast cancer.” “Many times lesbians are uncomfortable, and “It ’ s all true,” says Carolyn Johnston, coordina rightly so, about receiving heath care because of tor of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Partnership, the way they are treated,” says Johnston. “There a program administered by the Multnomah County is a lot of provider education that has to occur.” Health Department in partnership with the Oregon Iff;. Johnston says her program Breast and Cervical Cancer Coa is currently surveying several lition, Susan G. Konten Founda •: providers regarding issues of tion, American Cancer Society, diversity, and hopes to develop Oregon Health Division, National a list of lesbian-friendly clinics Black Leadership Initiative on j and providers. Cancer, and numerous commu “One of the first things we nity health care agencies. : need to do is develop criteria of Funding for the program is ; what makes for a ‘lesbian- provided by the federal Centers friendly’ provider, because it for Disease Control and the Su may mean different things to san G. Komen Foundation. different people,” she says. According to Johnston, an ef Johnston also says she’d like fort is underway to establish an yg to see the task force develop and ongoing lesbian health task force, now informally known as Lesbian Health Mat distribute relevant materials, as well as sponsor a mammography van at lesbian events, and launch ters, whose intent is to promote lesbian health and a telephone hot line, perhaps via the Lesbian make the health care establishment more acces Community Project, which provides lesbian health sible to lesbians. information and referrals. "I don’t think lesbian health issues have been (According to Johnston, the Breast and Cervi addressed much here. That’s why I think it’s important this is being done,” says Johnston. cal Cancer Partnership program is helping LCP “Someone said to me, ‘We don’t have an [Oregon apply for a grant which, if obtained, will help pay for lesbian outreach and breast cancer education Citizens Alliance] initiative this year. Maybe we can now do something positive and proactive like materials.) She also wants to make women aware that focus on lesbian health.’ That sounded right on they may be eligible for a free health check exam target to me.” if they are over 40, low income, or have limited or According to the National Gay and Lesbian no insurance. The exam includes a Pap test and Task Force Policy Institute, there is epidemio pelvic exam, clinical breast exam, mammogram, logical evidence which suggests that lesbians and height, weight and blood pressure check. may have a higher incidence of breast cancer than The department says the checks are vital be heterosexual women. This is based, says the insti cause as a woman gets older, her risk for breast tute, on a confluence of risk factors that appear in and cervical cancer increases. Seventy-five per the limited research available to be more common cent of all breast cancers occur in women older among lesbians— including a higher incidence of than 50. The majority of breast cancers occur in nulliparity (not having borne children), bearing a women without any family history of the disease. first child after the age of 30, and increased alcohol consumption. In the meantime, both Johnston and Lewis en courage lesbians to become involved in setting the Research further suggests that lesbians may goals and direction of the lesbian health task force. be at risk for delayed diagnosis and treatment for "This effort can be whatever women want it to any number of reasons, including a decreased be,” says Johnston. “This is for them.” likelihood of receiving routine cancer screenings Lewis adds, “Lesbians have proven that they and checkups caused by a lack of health insurance coverage or prior negative experiences with doc can take care of others. It’s time for us to do the tors and other providers. same for ourselves and each other.” Or it may come down to the fact that many lesbians don’t realize they are at risk. The Lesbian Health Matters task force will meet Jan. 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the “I think many women in the lesbian community are undereducated about health issues,” says April Morrison Building, 2115 SE Morrison St., in Lewis, 44, an out lesbian who also works with the Portland. For more information about the Multnomah County Health Department. meeting or free health checks, call Betty In September 1995, Lewis was diagnosed Graham at 248-3674, ext. 28266. Also, the with breast cancer. Lesbian Community Project sponsors a “I was shocked. It came out of the blue,” says women’s cancer-survivor support group. For Lewis. “I had totally been in the dark about the risks.” more information, call 223-0071. Call 5 0 3 * 2 4 5 #4 3 9 0 . .. the Wizards are in! Y Woman owned since 1994 serving the community with affordable excellence Pro Lab N.W . 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