According to the latest study by the American Cancer Society, LGBTQ+ individuals experience discrimination and minority stress that may lead to elevated cancer risk. The study showed that people in the LGBTQ+ population have a higher prevalence of smoking, obesity, and alcohol consumption, which contribute to the cancer burden. The study concluded that health systems need to systematically increase awareness of the unique needs of the community to help mitigate the risk for these types of disease.
But many health institutions are not informed, or equipped, to handle the unique health care needs. For Rey Luna, he knows what it's like to be marginalized by medicine. Luna started his transition five years ago when he was 27 years old, but his journey to this point started much earlier.
As a young child, he knew typical gender stereotypes just didn't fit. "I felt uncomfortable, I felt ashamed, I felt embarrassed and just all around sad," Luna said. He had never heard the term gender dysphoria, until a therapist suggested he do a little research, and something clicked.
"It was just mind-blowing. I literally just cried and like was happy, and then, I was like, 'Dang, this looks like it's going to be hard," Luna recalled. The first challenge was finding the right medical team, but the transition didn't start and end with hormones.
He knew he still had to take care of all areas of his medical care. And that included getting a pap smear, but a doctor turned him away. "I just kept expe.
