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Commission to Build a Healthier America Public Meeting
Join the Commission on June 19, 2013 for a public meeting to raise awareness of how non-medical factors influence health and move public- an...
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Sexual Orientation and Testing for Prostate and Colorectal Cancers Among Men in California
This article examines rates of colorectal and prostate cancer testing among heterosexual and gay/bisexual men.
Researchers used data collected from 19,410 men in the the California Health Interview survey. Using multivariate regression analysis, they identified independent variables that affected the percentage of men over 50 who received prostate and colorectal cancer testing.
Key Findings:
- Gay or bisexual men were 6–10 percent more likely to receive colorectal cancer testing than heterosexual men.
- There were no overall differences in the rates of heterosexual and gay/bisexual men who received prostate cancer testing, but African-American gay and bisexual men were less likely to receive testing than either heterosexual African-American men or gay/bisexual white men.
- Gay and bisexual men who lived alone were more likely to receive prostate testing than other groups.