Cancer screening in gay and bisexual men and transgender people

Abstract

This chapter summarizes what is currently known about cancer screening needs and behaviors among gay and bisexual men and transgender people, as well as the services available to them. Two issues are of importance: (1) Whether or not screening rates in these populations differ from screening rates of heterosexual men, and (2) Whether there are specific factors related to these populations that may merit screening guidelines being different. We begin by addressing the various nomenclatures and categories used across the cancer screening literature when referring to gay and bisexual men and transgender people. Then we cover overall screening guidelines for men and their applicability to men who have sex with men (MSM), whether they identify as gay or bisexual (GB) or not, as well as transgender people (T). We then focus on the literature specifically addressing GB populations and cancer screening. This section includes differential screening patterns related to particular cancers and specific sub-groups that may merit enhanced levels of screening due to varying risk factors. This is followed by an examination of these topics as they relate to transgender people. At the end, we discuss implications and provide recommendations for future research, practice and policy.