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Feb 15, 2009 7:45 am US/Eastern
4 Your Health: Breast Health For Gay Women
WEST PALM BEACH (CBS4) ―
A lot has been written about breast health for heterosexual women but perhaps one of the least discussed areas of breast health concerns gay women and the unique challenges they face.
Patti Lucia, who owns the Les Beans Coffee House in Lake Worth, feels she has become something of a spokesperson for the gay community.
"Mostly young lesbian and gay men will come in and see me as a mentor," said Lucia.
Medical experts say although being gay or lesbian does not in itself raise the risk for developing breast cancer, there are certain risk factors that are common among lesbians which may raise their chance of developing breast cancer.
"I'm concerned that many of us don't even how high risk we are," said Lucia.
"Gay or lesbian women, or women who partner with women, are not at an increased risk for breast cancer but there is a higher amount of risk factors among women who partner with women. And it's not due to their sexual orientation," said Havrede Hill, Breast Health Program Director with Compass, the gay and lesbian community center of the Palm Beaches.
Hill said some of the risk factors include higher rates of obesity, alcoholism, smoking and fewer to no children.
"Having no children or having fewer children limits the protective benefits that women gain from hormonal changes during pregnancy, labor as well as the excretion of carcinogenic materials that are stored in fatty tissues of the breast," said Hill.
"I think that there isn't enough awareness and that adds to our risk," said Lucia.
Doctors say that is why it is so important for all women to learn about the risks and how those risks may affect their health.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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