NHS ignoring lesbian cervical cancer risk, warn scientists
March 5th, 2009
The NHS is misleading lesbians with its advice for cervical cancer screenings, warns a new report.
The national NHS screening programme states that women who have never had sex with a man have a very low risk of developing cervical cancer. This has led to some medical professionals telling lesbians that they do not need smear tests.
However, 80% of lesbians have had sex with a man at some point in their life, which puts them at the same risk of developing the cancer as heterosexual women.
A new study by the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care is calling for the NHS to review its guidance and encourage more lesbians to have smear tests.
“There is no evidence that lesbians are at less risk of cervical cancer than their heterosexual counterparts,” said Hazel Henderson, author of the research.
“Lesbians are less likely than heterosexual women to present for cervical screening, as they and their medical advisors sometimes wrongly assume they have a low risk of developing cervical cancer.
“This may result in cervical abnormalities remaining undetected until symptoms appear at which time treatment is less likely to be effective.
“Medical personnel and lesbians need educating in the risk of cervical cancer to ensure there is no longer any ambiguity in the need for cervical screening in lesbians.”
Currently, the UK National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) states: “If a woman has never been sexually active with a man then the research evidence shows that her chance of developing cervical cancer is very low indeed. In these circumstances a woman might choose to decline the invitation for cervical screening on this occasion”.
Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted by sexual contact.
The risk is much higher if the sexual contact is between a male and a female, but it can also be spread by female-to-female sexual contact.
Up to three quarters of sexually active women will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Usually the body’s immune system fights the virus, but in a minority of cases the virus can remain in the cervix and lead to the development of abnormal cervical cells, which can then develop into cervical cancer if not treated early.
my partner was told by her previous doctor that she didn’t need a smear as she only slept with women.i was horrified and complained to our local authority and promptly changed doctors.
monkeygirl ∼ March 11th, 2009 10:41 am