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Stonewall survey highlights increased health risks for Scottish lesbians
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Scottish lesbians at great danger of self-harming says health survey
"For lesbian and bisexual women the experience of prejudice, misunderstanding and at times hostility can damage long-term health and well-being"
A groundbreaking new survey into women's health issue has highlighted that in Scotland at least, lesbians face increased risks of self-harm and suicide while they are far less to access vital cancer screening than heterosexual women. The survey done by gay rights group Stonewall found that while just 0.4% of the female population at large had self-harmed in the last year, that figure rose to a massive 20% among lesbians.
Rates of attempted suicide were also running dangerously high with 5% of respondents claiming that they had tried to kill themselves in the last year while lesbians were found to be much less likely to access routine healthcare due to fear of discrimination. The survey, called Prescription for Change also found lesbians to be more likely to be excluded from screening for cervical cancer than straight women.
Callum Irving, director of Stonewall Scotland said, "This report is a wake-up call for all those concerned with health in Scotland. For lesbian and bisexual women the experience of prejudice, misunderstanding and at times hostility can damage long-term health and well-being."
