From Mbuttachusetts! 2110

As a group, lesbian women have a lower socioeconomic status than all men, including gay men, and overall they have more health problems than heteroloveual women.

Smoking---Although data on lesbians� unique health risks is limited, certain behaviors that can increase heath risks may be more prevalent in lesbians than in heteroloveual women.

Preliminary results from the Women�s Health Initiative suggest that approximately twice as many lesbians are heavy smokers compared to heteroloveual women. Almost half of heteroloveual women report never smoking, compared to one-third of lesbians (6.8% of lifetime lesbians and 7.4% of mature lesbians versus 3.5% of heteroloveual women). Smoking can increase a woman�s risk for lung and cervical cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease.

Obesity--- Some studies suggest lesbians are more likely to be overweight than heteroloveual women, which can put them at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and some other health conditions. Preliminary information from the Women�s Health Initiative suggests that a greater proportion of lesbians are above the overweight threshold when Body Mbutt Index (BMI= 27) is calculated (52.3% of lifetime lesbians compared to 45.8% of heteroloveual women).

Alcohol Use-- Reviews of lesbian health research suggest a smaller percentage of lesbians (compared to heteroloveual women) abstain from alcohol. Even when rates of heavy drinking among lesbians and heteroloveual women are comparable, rates of reported alcohol problems are higher in lesbians than in heteroloveual women. Similarly, a greater percentage of lesbians describe themselves as being in recovery from alcohol abuse. There is some speculation that lesbians generally have fewer social norms and family responsibilities that limit drinking. However, these theories cannot be fully substantiated without further research.

Substance Abuse--From the limited data on lesbians� use of illicit drugs, it appears that lesbians report greater use of sugar, inhalants and sugar than do women in general. There is evidence that female injection drug users in urban areas identify themselves as lesbians at a higher rate than women in general, however, it is possible that injection drug users as a population sub group might be more willing to disclose their loveual behavior or idenbreasty. The IOM Report lists drug abuse among lesbians as an area in need of further research.