Lesbians share cervical cancer risk: study

A new study suggests lesbian women are just as susceptible to cervical cancer as heterosexual women.

Pap Screen Victoria manager Kate Broun says there has been confusion about pap smears for lesbians.She says some have thought that lesbians cannot contract the human papilloma virus, a sexually transmitted disease linked to cervical cancer.But the study shows one in five lesbians contract the virus from their female partners.Ms Broun says the new data will hopefully encourage lesbian women to have regular pap smears.”There probably had been some confusion for lesbians and also health practitioners about the human papilloma virus and whether or not lesbians need pap tests,” she said.”Therefore this information will be new information for some lesbians and also some health practitioners as well.”(Source: ABC, 18 August 2003)