LGBT charity warns all women should have smear tests

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups have raised concern over the incidence of LGBT women who are being told they do not need a cervical screening test (for human papilloma virus - HPV).

The news comes after a survey found that 36 per cent of lesbian and bisexual women visiting health services believed their doctor or nurse had made assumed they were heterosexual, with LGBT groups claiming such women regularly face barriers to accessing healthcare.

HPV is passed on through body fluids, like other sexually transmitted infections, current figures show there are around 3,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year in the UK.

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust stated: “As HPV can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area, gay women are equally at risk of contracting HPV and experiencing abnormal cervical changes and, thus, should always attend when invited for cervical screening."

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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