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Do Gay And Bisexual Men Have A Higher Risk Of Anal Cancer

Do Gay And Bisexual Men Have A Higher Risk Of Anal Cancer? Believe it or not, your sexual behaviors can influence your risk of developing certain types of cancers. In patients who are exposed to HPV (human papillomavirus) through sexual activity, the risk of developing these cancers increases dramatically. More specifically, gay and bisexual men have an elevated risk level for anal cancer.

At HEALOR™ in Las Vegas, NV, board-certified physician Dr. Raj Singh understands the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community and is committed to providing a comprehensive array of health services designed specifically for LGBTQ+ patients. In this blog, you’ll find more information about why certain patients have a higher risk of developing anal cancer, how we screen for anal cancer, and what signs or symptoms may mean you should seek an evaluation.

Why are gay men more likely to get anal cancer?

While some patients may have no symptoms at all, most people with anal cancer develop one or more symptoms of the disease over time. These may include:

If you are having symptoms that are suspicious of anal cancer, particularly if you are in a high-risk group, like gay and bisexual males, schedule an appointment to be screened for anal cancer or HPV at your earliest convenience.

How do you test for anal cancer?

During your initial consultation, Dr. Singh will thoroughly discuss your symptoms and personal history, answer any questions you may have, and perform a physical evaluation. Based on these findings, Dr. Singh may recommend either a digital rectal exam (DRE), a Pap smear, or both be used to evaluate for the presence of HPV or anal cancer.

Is anal cancer curable?

With early detection and prompt treatment, most cases of anal cancer can be successfully treated. For this reason, it is critical that patients with an elevated risk for developing anal cancer seek routine evaluations, monitor any potential signs or symptoms of an HPV infection, and understand how to prevent the disease. Some things that high-risk patients can do to lower their risk of developing anal cancer include:

With these simple steps, even high-risk patients can greatly reduce their risk of developing anal cancer.

Protect yourself against HPV and anal cancer with LGBTQ+ care in Las Vegas, NV

At HEALORâ„¢, our knowledgeable team is committed to helping all patients live a healthy and fulfilled life. By identifying and understanding personal risk factors and how to minimize them, patients can feel more confident about their health and safety. To learn more about your own risk factors for anal cancer, call to schedule your private consultation with board-certified physician Dr. Raj Singh today.

Health and Well-being for the LGBTQIA+ Community

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are often denied the respect and compassionate services they deserve as human beings. Discover important resources and tips to prioritize Health and Well-being for the LGBTQIA Community. Now, it’s time to give our LGBT community the attention and care they need to not only survive in this world, but thrive — not just emotionally, but physically as well.

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The Health of LGBT People

Gay individuals, lesbians, queer folks, bisexuals, and other members suffer from numerous health issues. The most notable ones are listed below. 

STIs

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are most common among gay and bisexual individuals. The most prevalent types of STIs are syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Having STIs can heighten the risk of either getting or transmitting HIV. 

Mental Health Issues

Due to the treatment that this particular community has received, such as bullying, discrimination, and avoidance, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals are more likely to develop mental health issues than heteronormative individuals.

Because of this, members of the LGBTQIA community are more prone to depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation. 

Violence

History shows that the LGBT community experiences higher levels of violence than any other group. Whether it be in words or actions, LGBTQ people face unnecessary hate and hurt that trigger serious health concerns. 

Support the LGBTQIA Community

It’s not enough to recognize what the LGBTQ community is facing. We need to help them overcome these challenges and receive the healthcare they deserve. 

Fortunately, the government is taking action. But we also need to lend a helping hand and encourage the community to seek healthcare professionals who are knowledgeable about their unique situation and can provide the support they need. 

Outside of professional assistance, we as a society need to advocate for acceptance and understanding so we can create a safe and healthy environment for those in the LGBTQIA+ community to thrive.

How Can Lesbian And Bisexual Women Prevent Cervical Cancer

Questions about how Can Lesbian And Bisexual Women Prevent Cervical Cancer? All sexually active people are highly likely to contract the human papillomavirus (HPV) at some point if they don’t have the HPV vaccine. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) and consists of more than 200 viruses that can affect the skin and mucous membrane. While it is usually asymptomatic and resolves on its own, unresolved infections caused by certain subtypes can lead to warts on and around the genital area, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, or in some cases, cervical cancer.

At HEALORâ„¢ in Las Vegas, NV, our double board-certified physician, Dr. Raj Singh, encourages patients in the LGBTQ+ community to prevent HPV by getting the HPV vaccine. Lesbian and bisexual women may be at a greater risk of getting cervical cancer because of HPV.

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How is HPV spread?

It’s important to understand how HPV transmission works. HPV is spread through most forms of sexual activity, including anal, oral, or vaginal sex, and other close skin-to-skin touching.

Common HPV symptoms

During your visit to HEALOR™ in Las Vegas, NV, Dr. Singh can explain the most common signs and symptoms of HPV. First, most men who get HPV don’t develop any symptoms. However, for women, HPV can be detected during a Pap smear by finding abnormal cells in the cervix. While a pap smear cannot test for cancer or HPV, it can notice abnormalities that may be caused by HPV. If you are experiencing anything new or unusual, such as lumps, sores, or warts, it’s important to schedule an appointment with Dr. Singh for a full evaluation.

HPV treatment

One of the most common concerns with patients with HPV is the amount of time it takes for it to go away. Ultimately, most infections will in fact go away on their own. While there is no cure for HPV, there are options available to treat the symptoms.

For female patients, Dr. Singh may recommend additional tests or treatment, including:

1. Colposcopy: This test looks at your cervix to detect precancerous cells.

2. Cryotherapy: This treatment will freeze and remove precancerous cervical cancer cells.

3. Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP): LEEP removes precancerous cells from a patient’s cervix through electrical currents.

Can HPV cause cancer?

HPV is not a form of cancer, but it can create certain changes in the body that may lead to cervical cancer, anal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, or penile cancer. It’s important to have regular well-woman exams from Dr. Singh at HEALOR™ for noticeable changes that can lead to early detection. He proudly treats the LGBTQ+ community and offers STI/STD testing in Las Vegas, NV.

How Can Lesbian And Bisexual Women Prevent Cervical Cancer

If you want to lower your chances of getting HPV and HPV-related diseases, it’s best to get an HPV vaccine and to practice safe sex through the use of condoms. The HPV vaccine protects both men and women, and condoms will reduce your chance of getting STIs, including HPV. Condoms will not protect you 100% and can still infect the areas of the skin that aren’t covered.

What are some risk factors for getting HPV?

Dr. Singh has noticed some of his patients are more likely to contract HPV than others. Some risk factors for contracting HPV include:

Learn how to protect your sexual health

Again, there is no cure for HPV, but you do have options to keep yourself healthy. Be sure to schedule your regular well-woman exams with Dr. Raj Singh at HEALORâ„¢ LGBTQ center in Las Vegas, NV on a consistent basis so you can manage your sexual health effectively. He works directly with the LGBTQ+ community and offers HPV vaccines, STI/STD testing, and HIV testing. To schedule an appointment to learn more about how you can prevent contracting HPV, call our team today.

Regular Health Screenings Are Important For LGBTQ

At HEALOR™, Dr. Raj Singh helps his patients in the LGBTQ community to treat chronic or acute medical conditions that affect their daily lives. Many people believe they don’t need regular physical exams, especially when they feel they are in good health. However, many people live with chronic diseases and don’t even know it. Preventive care helps our team to address a health problem before it worsens and affects other systems of your body. We work diligently to help our patients throughout Las Vegas, NV to keep their health intact.

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What is a health screening?

A health screening is a series of tests that look for diseases before a patient has symptoms. Screening tests help Dr. Singh to find diseases early when they're much easier to treat. You can get these screenings at HEALORâ„¢ . Some conditions that we screen patients for at our Las Vegas, NV office include:

Which tests you need will depend on your age, your gender, your family history, and if you have risk factors for certain diseases. LGBTQ health care is an important issue to Dr. Singh as he has helped countless patients in the community to resolve health problems they’re experiencing.

What do we do at a wellness check-up?

During an annual examination at HEALOR™ in Las Vegas, NV, we evaluate a patient’s health to detect health problems early on. During your wellness check-up, we:

LGBTQ health risks

The LGBTQ community is more at risk for sexually-transmitted diseases, cancers, cardiovascular disease, suicide, mood disorders, substance abuse, and depression. This is why it’s so important for the community to have regular health screenings with Dr. Singh at HEALOR™. He is fully committed to LGBTQ mental health and providing professional help to patients who need it most.

Importance of preventive care

When you visit HEALORâ„¢ for a regular health screening, you are making a decision to be responsible for your health. Rather than just treating something after it has developed or progressed, preventive care focuses on preventing disease or medical conditions from developing at all. Dr. Singh can make preventive care suggestions to patients, depending on their medical and family history, health, gender, and age.

Schedule regular health screenings for optimal health

When you want to make sure that your health is at its best, schedule a regular health screening at HEALORâ„¢. Dr. Raj Singh can evaluate your entire health to ensure that your body is functioning well. To learn more about this important visit to our Las Vegas, NV office, call us today.

How Does HPV Affect the LGBTQ Community

Ultimately, nearly all sexually active people in Las Vegas, NV, will get human papillomavirus (HPV) at some time in their life without the HPV vaccine. HPV is a group of more than 200 viruses that can infect the skin or mucous membranes. HPV infections typically are asymptomatic and resolve on their own; however, unresolved infections caused by certain subtypes can result in genital warts, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, and even cancer. At HEALORâ„¢ , double board-certified physician Dr. Raj Singh can help his patients to prevent HPV in women and men with the HPV vaccine.

Understanding HPV transmission

Knowing how HPV is spread is important. You can get HPV by having sex with someone who has HPV. This disease is spread easily during anal, oral, or vaginal sex as well as other close skin-to-skin touching during sex.

About HPV symptoms

Dr. Singh can explain the most common signs of HPV to his patients in Las Vegas, NV.

Most men who get HPV don’t ever develop symptoms. For women, HPV can be detected with a Pap test, which looks for abnormal cells in your cervix. While a PAP doesn’t test for cancer or HPV, it can notice these changes that most likely are caused by HPV. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Singh if you’re experiencing anything new and unusual, including lumps, sores, or warts.

HPV treatment

Many patients wonder how long it takes for HPV to go away. Ultimately, most infections go away on their own. Where there is no cure for the virus, there are treatment options available for the issues that HPV may cause patients at HEALORâ„¢.

For our female patients, you may need additional tests or treatment, including:

1. Colposcopy: This procedure looks at the cervix to find precancerous cells.

2. Cryotherapy: This freezes and removes precancerous cervical cancer cells.

3. Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP): This removes precancerous cells from the cervix with electrical currents.

Can HPV cause cancer?

Yes. HPV itself isn’t cancer, but it can cause changes in your body that lead to cancer. Some of the most common cancers caused by HPV include; cervical cancer, penile cancer, oropharyngeal, and anal cancer. Your cancer will develop very slowly and may not be diagnosed for years. While there is no way to know who will have only a temporary HPV infection, it’s important to seek medical attention from a professional, such as Dr. Singh at HEALOR™. He proudly treats the LGBTQ community and offers STI/STD testing at his Las Vegas, NV office.

How can I lower my chance of getting HPV?

Two ways that you can lower your chances of getting HPV and HPV-related diseases are getting vaccinated and using condoms. The HPV vaccine protects men and women from STI. Condoms reduce your chance of getting STIs, including HPV. However, HPV can infect areas that aren’t covered with a condom, so it isn’t a foolproof way to prevent getting HPV.

Learn more about HPV and your sexual health

While there is no cure for HPV, there are plenty of things you can do to stay healthy. Regular exams with Dr. Raj Singh at HEALORâ„¢ help you to manage your sexual health best. He works directly with the LGBTQ community throughout Las Vegas, NV, and offers HPV vaccines, STI/STD testing, and HIV testing too. To schedule an appointment to learn more about preventing HPV, call our professional team today.

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