When to prostate ncer, 'gay men are erased,' patients say

gay men with prostate cancer

The Northwtern Medice Gay and Bisexual Men’s Urology Program is signed to liver better urologic re for patients who were assigned male at birth and intify as gay or bisexual.

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WHEN TO PROSTATE NCER, 'GAY MEN ARE ERASED,' PATIENTS SAY

Once laser-foced on HIV/AIDS, the gay muny is now addrsg one of the perils of gettg olr. * gay men with prostate cancer *

But the unique challeng facg gay and bisexual men wh prostate ncer have largely gone who have sex wh men (MSM) are ls likely to get regular prostate ncer screengs, and those who are diagnosed are ls likely to have faial and social support, acrdg to rearch ced by the Natnal Instut of Health.

IN CHIGO, A NEW APPROACH TO GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN WH PROSTATE CANCER

Rat of prostate ncer are largely the same among gays and others, but sexual functng issu and qualy of life brg different ncerns. * gay men with prostate cancer *

And if their health re provir is not culturally petent, gay and bisexual men are much ls likely to unrstand how treatment will impact their qualy of life. ”As a rult, Margoli add, many lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr patients go back the closet when they beg ncer treatment. “I’ve been a gay activist — and been out — so long that I took for granted I uld talk openly to my doctors, ” he told NBC News.

PROSTATE CANCER GAY, BISEXUAL, AND OTHER MEN WHO HAVE SEX WH MEN: A REVIEW

Rearch suggts that some gay and bisexual men may face a number of barriers to gettg the health re and ncer screeng tts they need. Learn what you need to know about ncer risk and preventn. * gay men with prostate cancer *

Brass’ said his sexual functn was relatively good, but stead he stggled wh ntence for weeks — g as many as ne “pads” a day and stayg wh yards of a bathroom at all you’re gay and you go to a urologist who hasn’t alt wh gay men, they’ll tell you, 'Brg your wife wh you.

'"He joed a prostate ncer support group specifilly for gay and bisexual men at Mount Sai Hospal Manhattan, one of several anized by the natnal advocy anizatn wh other queer men “allowed to be very open about our feelgs — and our sexualy — and to be empathetic wh each other, ” Brass said.

WHEN GAY MEN GET PROSTATE CANCER

* gay men with prostate cancer *

“If you’re gay and you go to a urologist who hasn’t alt wh gay men, they’ll tell you, ‘Brg your wife wh you, ’" he said.

"A NEGLECTED AREA"It’s impossible to know how many gay men have been diagnosed prostate ncer, bee qutns about sexualy are rarely clud rearch studi.

CANCER FACTS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

“The medil muny say, ‘We don’t want to ask olr heterosexual men qutns that might upset them, ’" Simon Rosser, an LGBTQ health specialist and -thor of "Gay and Bisexual Men Livg Wh Prostate Cancer, " told NBC Rosser, PhD, MPH, is a profsor at the Universy of Mnota School of Public Health. Universy of MnotaA profsor at the Universy of Mnota School of Public Health, Rosser has received a $3 ln grant om the Natnal Cancer Instute to put together the first prehensive rehabilatn program specifilly for gay and bisexual men wh prostate ncer. ”Rosser said the silence and shame surroundg the topic allows ugly myths to flourish — like that gay sex somehow “ed” their ncer.

And we have studi that show out are different for gay men: We have worse mental health, we have greater urary problems, but our sexual out are reliably better.

Gettg the disease, ironilly, is somethg of a luxury for a gay men of Brass’ age: Too many had their liv cut short by the AIDS epimic long before they’d typilly be diagnosed (the average age for a prostate ncer diagnosis is 66) the advent of lifavg antiretroviral dgs the mid-1990s, though, gay men are fally reachg their goln years.

REVIEWSEX AFTER PROSTATE CANCER GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN: A REVIEW OF THE LERATURE

”It stole a generatn, but the AIDS epimic also tght gay men how to fight disease, how to ask qutns and how to mand better treatment. Curt, 66, diagnosis and surgery were only the begng of a “clil and psychologil and emotnal adventure” — one he felt that many urologists were not equipped to handle, bee he was gay and the majory of doctors and their patients were symptoms are siar for all prostate ncer patients, cludg urary ntence, erectile dysfunctn, dimished libido and loss of ejaculate.

But rearchers are fdg that those chang may echo through the liv of gay and bisexual men unexpected, and sometim more difficult, obstacl n be physil and emotnal, and may be reflected patients’ relatnships wh their partners. Amarasekera, who has foced his reer on urologic re for gay and bisexual men and other sexual mori, is the program’s first is an emergg field of study driven part by the creasg number of prostate ncer patients who intify as gay or bisexual.

”The gay and bisexual men their 50s and 60s who are now enterg the prime mographic for prostate ncer also lived through the worst of the AIDS epimic.

GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN'S UROLOGY PROGRAM

Amarasekera problem, experts the field say, is that the rearch about gay and bisexual men and prostate ncer is still woefully aquate.

GAY MEN'S EXPERIENC WH PROSTATE NCER: IMPLITNS FOR FUTURE REARCH

V., and young gay men, bee that was the biggt killer, ” said Simon Rosser, a profsor of epimlogy and muny health at the Universy of Mnota, who led a study 2017 of gay and bisexual men wh prostate ncer. “It’s only now that as the AIDS generatn grew olr, and aged to health problems like prostate ncer, that specialists are startg to see gay patients.

CANCER RISKS FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN

Amarasekera studied urologists’ trag and found that many reported receivg ls than five hours of stctn on the treatment of gay and bisexual patients. He also surveyed gay patients, who overall said their sexual satisfactn was not aquately taken unr nsiratn durg treatment for prostate ncer. “It’s important to llect data on how treatment affects sexual functn differently for gay and bisexual men, who have different sexual repertoir than straight men, ” he said.

“If you lack the tools to measure aspects of sexual functn that are specific to gay and bisexual men, you lose an opportuny to track their progrs. Amarasekera se at the program’s two clics — one downtown Chigo and the other the historilly gay Northalsted neighborhood — are unprepared to face yet another health crisis.

”The health re system, he said, “margaliz gay men, particularly when to sexual health, and the prostate is so lked to sexual health gay men. It’s jt that many urologists don’t realize that the prostate is “kd of a male ‘G spot, ’” and gay men more often are aware of .

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY MEN WITH PROSTATE CANCER

Cancer Facts for Gay and Bisexual Men | Amerin Cancer Society .

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