Open any gay and lesbian-oriented publication or survey the many GLBT community health organizations and you’ll immediately be clued into a wide range of information and services geared toward gay men’s health. With HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention at the forefront of our community’s list of objectives – and, more recently, the campaign to curb crystal meth abuse – the spotlight has and will continue to shed light on issues that specifically affect gay men.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and is perhaps one of the few times of the year lesbian health garners greater visibility. Environmental factors such as economics, reproductive behavior and access to health care uniquely impact the lesbian community and demonstrate the need for greater understanding of lesbian-health issues.

Lower income brackets, fear of discrimination and past negative experiences with health care providers may cause some lesbians to avoid seeking routine health care, and lack of early screening for common diseases increases the chance that a woman will be diagnosed in more advanced stages of cancer – when fewer treatment options can be introduced.

This week’s feature discusses a factor that may contribute to the development of breast cancer within the lesbian community: the fact that women who have children after age 30, or never at all, are at increased risk for breast cancer. It is believed that certain hormones released during pregnancy act as a preventative force against breast cancer. Studies show that lesbians are less likely than heterosexual women to have children, and, therefore, may be at increased risk. It should be stressed, however, that lesbians who choose not to have children are at no greater risk than heterosexual women who also choose to refrain from bearing children.

It is also vitally important that lesbians pay attention to lifestyle choices when assessing cancer risk: Drinking excessively, smoking tobacco and abusing drugs can increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Lesbians and feminists have been worrying about the potential for cancer within the lesbian community since the early 1970s, a time when smoky bars were the main destinations for women in search of other women. Today, alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse is still abnormally high in the lesbian community, and studies have shown that the level of obesity among lesbians is higher on average than it is among their heterosexual counterparts.

Several organizations throughout the months of October and November focus on raising money and awareness around breast cancer and women’s health. The way to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer is to take action, whether that means making a commitment to doing regular breast self-exams or making a commitment to raising funds for breast cancer research.

Komen San Diego’s Race for the Cure is San Diego County’s largest race supporting local breast cancer education and awareness. This year’s co-ed 5K (3.1-mile) run takes place in Balboa Park on Nov. 6. A companion event introduced this year called Kids for the Cure encourages families to educate children ages 12 and under to participate in breast cancer awareness activities. In addition, San Diegans that cannot attend the Race for the Cure can participate in Sleep In for the Cure, which allows people to contribute $30 to the Race for the Cure without actually participating in it, and receive a special Sleep In for the Cure nightshirt. The entry fee for Race for the Cure is $25, and Kids for the Cure is $15.

For additional information on all of Komen San Diego’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month events, call In Motion at (760) 692-2900.

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