Lesbian health care needs.

OBJECTIVE

To define the special health care needs of Canadian lesbians.

DESIGN

A questionnaire containing 61 yes-or-no and multiple-choice questions sought information on six areas: demographics; health care use; habits, diet, and exercise; preventive care; mental health; and physical health.

SETTING

The organizational meeting of a lesbian softball league in Toronto.

PARTICIPANTS

Of 360 women eligible for the meeting, 205 attended and 195 completed the survey. Questionnaires used for analysis were those of the 186 women who answered yes to the question, "Are you a lesbian?"

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: How lesbian health care needs differ from those of women in general. Results of the survey were compared with results of the 1991 Canadian General Health Survey and the 1986 Health Promotion Survey (for comparable sex and age groups).

RESULTS

The lesbians were young, white, and middle class. They visited the same health care professionals as other Canadian women but for different reasons. They smoked, drank alcohol, used caffeine, and exercised somewhat more than other women, but they were not very knowledgeable about healthy diets. The lesbians got Pap smears less often than other Canadian women, even if they were at high risk. They examined their breasts less frequently, but got their blood pressure checked with comparable frequency. Lesbians had a high incidence of mental health problems and often had nontraditional support systems. Lesbians were less prone to gynecologic complaints, especially infectious diseases, but had about the same incidence of common chronic illnesses.

CONCLUSIONS

Although lesbians are not afflicted uniquely by any illness, they do have special health care needs. Canadian family physicians should be aware that lesbians are part of family practice and that, like other identifiable group, they have common health concerns that differ from those of the general population.