Preventive Health Measures for Lesbian and Bisexual Women »

Help lesbian and bisexual women better manage their physical health

The lack of information about lesbian and bisexual women’s health can in part be attributed to the lack of health research focused on this population. Preventive Health Measures for Lesbian and Bisexual Women helps fill this gap by providing the latest empirical, evidence-based research to address current health care issues confronted by sexual minority women (SMW). This vital source explores several diverse factors constraining the ability of lesbian and bisexual women of color to receive proper health care and exercise preventative health measures including discrimination, oppression, and stigmatization.

The reasons behind several SMW health risks are psychosocial and behavioral factors often not considered by health practitioners. Preventive Health Measures for Lesbian and Bisexual Women examines these factors in detail and provides a firm starting point for further research and ways to best address the challenges. Studies on SMW behavior and perceptions reveal how lesbians and bisexual women make choices on various vital health issues such as alcohol use, nutrition, weight management, exercise, safer sex practices, sunscreen use, and self-breast examination. The research in this book is of the highest quality, the discussions on the findings top-notch, and the conclusions important for every policymaker, health practitioner, and researcher to understand.

Research topics in Preventive Health Measures for Lesbian and Bisexual Women include:

• the effects of lesbian or bisexual identity on preventative health behaviors
• cancer prevention and screening behaviors using American Cancer Society guidelines as the standards for comparison
• experiences with treating physicians and their attitudes—positive and negative
• ways to help lesbians with cancer receive better support by service providers and lesbian communities
• comparison between lesbian and heterosexual women of psychosocial responses to treatment for breast cancer
• qualitative study on lesbians who frequent bars
• characteristics of sexual minority women across four survey sampling methods

Preventive Health Measures for Lesbian and Bisexual Women is timely, crucial information for health practitioners of all types, women’s activists, public health professionals, and researchers.

Preface     xix
Preventive Health Behaviors Among Lesbian and Bisexually Identified Women   Brooke E. Wells, MA   David S. Bimbi, PhD candidate   Diane Tider, MPH   Jason Van Ora, MA   Jeffrey T. Parsons, PhD     1
Cancer Prevention and Screening Behaviors in Lesbians   Cecelia Gatson Grindel, PhD, RN, CMSRN, FAAN   Linda A. McGehee, PhD, RN   Carol A. Patsdaughter, PhD, RN   Susan J. Roberts, DNSc, RN, ANP     15
Sexual Minority Women's Interactions with Breast Cancer Providers   Ulrike Boehmer, PhD   Patricia Case, ScD     41
Community Support, Community Values: The Experiences of Lesbians Diagnosed with Cancer   Christina Sinding, PhD   Pamela Grassau, PhD candidate   Lisa Barnoff, PhD     59
Psychosocial Responses to Treatment for Breast Cancer Among Lesbian and Heterosexual Women   Patricia L. Arena, PhD   Charles S. Carver, PhD   Michael H. Antoni, PhD   Sharlene Weiss, PhD   Gail Ironson, MD, PhD   Ron E. Duran, PhD     81
Consequences of Frequenting the Lesbian Bar   Elisabeth Gruskin, DrPH   Kimberly Byrne, EdD   Susan Kools, RN, PhD   Andrea Altschuler, PhD     103
Comparing Sexual Minority Status Across Sampling Methods andPopulations   Deborah J. Bowen, PhD   Judith Bradford, PhD   Diane Powers, MA     121
Index     135