People who are gender and sexually diverse (GSD) experience disproportionate cancer burden in comparison to mainstream populations. Risk factors, social determinants of health, engagement with healthcare services, real and anticipated discrimination, maltreatment, assumptions, and poorer health and wellbeing outcomes mean that while inclusion of GSD people is growing in some parts of the world, true equity is far from achieved.
There is growing awareness of the importance of sexual issues for people affected by cancer and an increasing appreciation of the need for equality in terms of gender and sexuality, but how cancer impacts GSD people, and how sexuality and gender relates to experiences of cancer and healthcare are less understood.
Every person should receive the best possible care and treatment delivered in a way that meets their personal, individual needs. It is the health professional’s responsibility to ensure that each person is informed and able to participate and make decisions that are right for them in relation to that care.
Underpinning effective, safe, appropriate, and meaningful healthcare is communication between staff within healthcare contexts and the people who they engage with including patients and their significant others.
GSD people are themselves a diverse group with special, unique needs in relation to healthcare. Understanding how GSD people’s needs may not be met in the context of cancer care, as well as the ways which healthcare professionals can address these deficiencies is vital to improving the care experiences and outcomes of GSD people.