Health
There's plenty of support available to help you
LGBTQ+ people access their GPs for traditional medical issues such as back problems, colds, flu and general ill health, but tend not to use them for counselling or any LGBTQ+ specific issues. This is often because they feel their doctor is ill-equipped to deal with their needs or are concerned that they might receive a judgemental service.Â
Disclaimer
The information on this website is an overview and should not be taken as a substitute for professional medical advice. Having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. If you have any concerns regarding your own health or that of any other individual you should contact your GP or a GUM clinic as soon as possible.
Other Resources
Other Resources
How do we take care of our health? Accessing GP surgeries for usual ailments, like a cold or regular reviews, should be straightforward for any LGBTQ+ person. When it comes to more specialised services, for example hormone replacement therapy, we may need to access more specialised services, like the NHS Gender dysphoria clinics. Trans people also need to be vigilant regarding regular cancer screenings and be sure that they are receiving the appropriate preventive care. We all need to look after our sexual health as well, no matter who we have sex with.
Sexual Health Clinic Support
Taking care of our sexual health is important, no matter who we have sex with. Having a regular check up is a good practice to protect yourself and your sexual partners. You can be infected by sexual transmitted infections (STI’s) and not have any noticeable symptoms so a regular check up, and using protections, are a good options to help you take care of your sexual health.
At Sexual Health Services in London and Surrey you can access contraception and PrEP to further take care of your sexual health. You can also order an at home self-testing kit for STI’s. The service is confidential and they generally do not share information with your GP unless you agree to it.
Cervical Cancer
Lesbians, non-binary people and transgender men sometimes get mixed messages as to whether they should have smear tests for cervical cancer or not. If your GP is aware of your sexual orientation and/or gender identity there may be an assumption that you do not have penetrative sex and therefore do not need to have a smear test. However, this is not necessarily true – even if you have never had penetrative sex there is still a risk of cervical cancer.
If you were assigned female at birth, and have not had your cervix surgically removed, you should talk to your doctor about the need for a smear test and being a part of the screening programme.
Please see more information here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-cancer/
Prostate Cancer
One of the most common types of cancer is prostate cancer. The prostate is a gland that produces and stores a fluid that gets mixed with sperm to create semen.Â
There is currently no NHS-wide screening programme for prostate cancer, so if you have a prostate you should look out for changes associated with urinating such as:
- needing to urinate more frequently
- difficulty in starting or straining to urinate
- weak flow of urine
- feeling that your bladder has not emptied
Early detection of prostate cancer is essential as this can avoid the need to have the gland removed for survival. Due to its close relation to sexual function, the removal of the prostate can lead to changes in sexual response during anal sex and to the ability to ejaculate.Â
If you are a trans woman and you have had gender-affirming surgery*, you could still be at risk of prostate cancer and should look out for the symptoms. This is because you could still have the prostate gland post-surgery. Some trans women may see their prostate as a link to their past gender identity, and that may make them reluctant to discuss it, but if you have any of the symptoms please contact your GP as soon as possible.
Breast Cancer
Everyone is at some risk of breast cancer. However, people who have both the milk producing gland, mammary gland, in breasts and ovaries are most at risk. This is because some breast cancer are fuelled by hormone fluctuations, and the ovaries and the mammary gland can play a part in that.
If you have had mastectomies, you will have a reduced risk of breast cancer. This also applies if you have had your ovaries removed. However, if you are taking high doses of the oestrogen hormone to transition, this can increase your risk of developing breast cancer.
If you are invited to breast screening you should attend and you should perform routine self examinations.
Disclaimer
The information on this website is an overview and should not be taken as a substitute for professional medical advice. Having a risk factor, or even several, does not mean that you will get the disease. If you have any concerns regarding your own health or that of any other individual you should contact your GP or a GUM clinic as soon as possible.
