Breast Awareness

Back to Health

Thanks to earlier detection and better treatment more women are surviving breast cancer than ever before. However, it still remains the most common cancer in the UK with over 44,000 women being diagnosed each year.

Stonewall's research into lesbian and bisexual women's health (Prescription For Change, 2008) found that one in twelve lesbian and bisexual women aged between 50 and 79 have been diagnosed with breast cancer compared to one in twenty women in general.

There is a higher risk of developing breast cancer if you have had your first child after 30 or you have not had children at all. Research suggests that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer too. Lesbian and bisexual women are less likely to have carried a child to full term and therefore to have breast fed.

Other risk factors include age, family history, excessive use of alcohol, (sorry, but lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be heavier drinkers than straight women), obesity, using the pill and / or hormone replacement therapy.

All this does not mean you are more likely to develop breast cancer as a lesbian or bisexual woman, but it does mean you could potentially be more at risk. Therefore it is vitally important to know what to look for and to regularly check your breasts.

So how do we check?

Being breast aware is a normal part of general body awareness. It is a process of getting to know your own breasts and becoming familiar with their appearance. You can become familiar with your breasts by looking and feeling them – do this in any way you like – this can be in the shower, the bath or when dressing but probably not in hte middle of Sainsbury's!

The key is to know what your breasts look and feel like, and to notice any changes. And if you have a partner – enjoy checking out each others!