Why lesbians should be encouraged to have regular cervical screening

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The UK National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) provides inconsistent advice regarding cervical cancer screening for women who have never had sex with men.
• Lesbian women are often considered at very low risk for cervical cancer, leading to ambiguity in screening recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on lesbians, cervical cancer, and associated risk factors, particularly human papillomavirus (HPV) and screening behaviors.
• To highlight the disparities in cervical screening attendance between lesbian and heterosexual women.

Main Methods:

• A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and internet searches.
• The review focused on articles concerning lesbians, cervical cancer, HPV, and screening behaviors.

Main Results:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) can be sexually transmitted between women.
• Lesbian women exhibit significantly higher rates of non-attendance for cervical screening compared to heterosexual women.
• This lower screening uptake is attributed to a misconception among lesbians about their susceptibility to cervical cancer and reduced perceived need for screening, despite sharing similar risk factors with heterosexual women.

Conclusions:

• The NHSCSP requires a clear and consistent policy on the necessity of cervical screening for lesbians.
• Both healthcare providers and the lesbian community need to be educated on the importance of regular cervical screening for lesbians, equivalent to that for heterosexual women.