LGBTIQ+ breast cancer info now available
The Breast Cancer Foundation NZ website now has a section dedicated to the LGBTIQ+ community.
In March this year, BCFNZ sponsored two young New Zealanders affected by breast cancer - Amber Aarkell and Jessica Weller - to attend the Young Survival Coalition National Summit at the Oakland Marriott City Centre in the United States. The two submitted a review to the Foundation highlighting different sessions that they attended.
One session was about cancer in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer community (LGBTIQ+), emphasising that this is a severely under-supported area in The States. BCFNZ decided to take a closer look, to see if there was anything we could do here, in New Zealand, to help.
After some discussion with LGBTIQ+ representatives such as OUTLineNZ and RainbowYOUTH, we decided to introduce a new section on our website, in response to the unique needs of this community. The section includes information on risk (and explores possible explanations), discusses the evidence for breast cancer in transgender people, and provides practical tips for achieving the best breast health possible.
Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate, and neither does the Foundation. We believe in inclusion, and advocate for equal access to all.