• One in eight women in the US will develop breast cancer at some point in their life---with 77% of these cases occurring in women over the age of 50.
• 
  Being a lesbian does not itself increase one’s risk for breast cancer---however, some of the leading risk factors for breast cancer also happen to be characteristics that many lesbian women may share. These include:
  • 
    - Never giving birth or giving birth for the first time after age 30.
    - Never breastfeeding.
    - Consuming 2 to 5 alcoholic drinks per day.
    - Smoking.
    - Being overweight and/or having a poor diet.
    - Not seeing a physician for regular check-ups.
    - Not having appropriate insurance to cover medical care.
    


• Doing self breast exams monthly beginning in your early 20’s and getting regular mammograms after age 40 can greatly increase the chances of early detection and effective treatment.
  

To find local resources for lesbian friendly breast health, click one of the links below:

Rochester area Planned Parenthood

Highland Breast Health Center

Click the logo below to view more of the One Body Campaign.

To learn more about LGBT health issues, click here.