How your sexual preference can raise your chance of multiple CANCERS, according to first-of-its-kind report

Research suggests that LGBTQ+ people are at higher risk of some cancers than heterosexual people.

A first-of-its-kind report from the American Cancer Society finds that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and be obese, all of which increase their chances of getting cancer.

They are also at higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and HPV, which can cause cancer, according to the report.

The analysis also found that people were also more likely to avoid going to the doctor for fear of discrimination, which could lead to delayed cancer diagnoses.

“We’re very aware that this population in particular is hesitant to seek medical care. There’s stigma and there’s uncertainty,” Dr. William Dahut, chief science officer at the American Cancer Society, said in an interview with ABC News. [physician] Familiarity… I was concerned that the outcome would be even worse.”

The analysis summarized data collected from three major national surveys: the National Health Interview Survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the National Youth Tobacco Survey.

The survey found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults are more likely to smoke than heterosexual adults (16% compared to 12% in 2021 and 2022).

The biggest disparities were among bisexual women, who were twice as likely to smoke (23% vs. 10%) and drink more alcohol than heterosexual women (14% vs. 6%).

Tobacco smoke contains over 5,000 chemicals, at least 70 of which can cause cancer.

When we smoke, chemicals enter our lungs and damage the DNA in our bodies, including the part of our DNA that protects us from cancer.

Smoking not only increases the risk of lung cancer, but also cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, kidney, pancreas, liver, bladder, cervical, colon, rectum, and some types of leukemia.

The researchers said “minority stress” — the excess stress experienced by members of discriminated groups — likely contributes to behaviors such as smoking that increase cancer risk.

The researchers say psychological stress can lead to elevated cortisol levels and chronic inflammation, which likely increases cancer risk.

Although the researchers did not directly look at cancer rates among LGBTQ+ people, they speculated that rates are likely higher due to the prevalence of risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and being overweight.

Lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be overweight: 68% are overweight compared to 61% of heterosexual women.

Bisexual women also tend to drink more: About 14% drink seven or more drinks a week, compared with just 6% of heterosexual women.

Obesity is also more prevalent among bisexual women, with 43% being obese compared to 38% of lesbian women and 33% of heterosexual women.

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Too much body fat increases the amount of growth hormone in the body, which tells cells to divide more frequently and increases the chances of cancer cells developing.

Obesity also causes inflammation in the body and speeds up cell division.

The prevalence of cancer-causing infections, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), is also significantly higher among some LGBTQ+ groups.

According to the CDC, about 70% of HIV infections occur through sexual contact between men.

People with HIV infection are at increased risk of developing at least 10 types of cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, liver cancer, and cervical cancer.

This is because HIV weakens the immune system, allowing other viruses that can cause cancer to grow.

LGBTQ+ groups have lower screening rates for some cancers, including cervical and colorectal cancer screening among transgender men.

The researchers said that while the findings suggest disparities in cancer incidence among LGBTQ+ people, actual data on this and mortality rates among this population is not available because sexual orientation and gender identity are not adequately collected in clinical settings.

One study included in the analysis found that compared with heterosexual women, bisexual women had a 10% higher risk of breast cancer and lesbian women had a 6% higher risk.

The study was published in the journal cancer.