2018 Issue 4 Jul/Aug - Focus Mid-South Magazine
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health+wellness<br />
GAY MEN:<br />
SELF IMAGE,<br />
TANNING &<br />
SKIN CANCER<br />
by Melinda Lejman<br />
...sexual minority<br />
(homosexual) men were<br />
as much as twice as<br />
likely than heterosexual<br />
men to develop skin<br />
cancer. In fact, sexual<br />
minority men were found<br />
to have the highest rates<br />
of skin cancer in the<br />
survey.<br />
—JAMA Dermatology Journal<br />
The doctor’s office is<br />
one place where openness<br />
and honesty about sexual<br />
orientation can be a matter<br />
of life and death. And as<br />
in many areas of society,<br />
either social taboos or a lack<br />
of knowledge can limit our<br />
understanding of health risks.<br />
A 2015 study published in the<br />
American Medical Association’s<br />
Dermatology journal, JAMA<br />
Dermatology, found significant<br />
disparities between the skin<br />
cancer rates of heterosexual<br />
subjects and those the study’s<br />
authors describe as ‘sexual<br />
minorities.’ Specifically, the<br />
authors found that, among the<br />
200,000 patients reviewed,<br />
sexual minority men were at<br />
least 50% and as much as twice<br />
as likely than heterosexual<br />
men to develop skin cancer. In<br />
fact, sexual minority men were<br />
found to have the highest rates<br />
of skin cancer in the survey.<br />
According to the study, this<br />
is not the only condition where<br />
gay men face heightened risks.<br />
They are disproportionately<br />
likely to develop other forms<br />
of cancer, substance abuse<br />
disorders, and mental health<br />
issues. A broader theory has<br />
developed around the risks<br />
faced by sexual minorities and<br />
by minority populations in<br />
general. The argument is that<br />
social pressures, stigma, and<br />
discrimination exacerbate both<br />
mental and physical illness.<br />
In the doctor’s office, social<br />
pressure not to acknowledge<br />
sexual orientation prevents<br />
effective care, discussions of<br />
risk, or reporting of symptoms.<br />
In the bigger picture, such<br />
disparities can extend to public<br />
awareness or medical research<br />
into diseases associated with<br />
sexual minorities. However,<br />
in the case of skin cancer, the<br />
2015 study noted a specific<br />
behavior that sexual minority<br />
men participate in at higher<br />
rates than other populations:<br />
indoor tanning.<br />
Indoor tanning is a multibillion-dollar<br />
industry. In 2009,<br />
the International Agency for<br />
Research on Cancer rated<br />
Page 18 / focusmidsouth.com / JUL+AUG <strong>2018</strong> / Splash
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