When I first heard about health differences for lesbian women, I thought “That’s gotta be made-up stuff”. My usual clinic visits always felt rushed with generic advice. But last June, my friend Sarah got diagnosed late with something preventable. That shook me into digging deeper.
My Wake-Up Call Journey
I started with my primary care doc. Grabbed my blue notebook (old-school style) and asked point-blank: “What actually matters for someone like me?” She paused – then gave me three referrals nobody ever mentioned:
- A gyno who specializes in LGBTQ+ care
- Mental health counselor familiar with minority stress
- Bone density scan even though I’m under 40
The Surprising Stuff I Learned
Here’s what blew my mind during appointments:
- Pap smears aren’t optional just because I’ve never slept with guys. Turns out HPV can transmit between women too.
- Lesbian women get higher breast cancer rates partly because we’re less likely to have kids before 30. My doc taught me proper self-exam techniques right there in the office.
- Mental health impacts physical health way more than I realized. My therapist showed me studies about chronic stress from discrimination actually weakening immune systems.
What Changed in My Routine
Started small but stuck with it:
- Every Sunday night I do breast checks while watching Netflix
- Swapped happy hour beers for walks with my partner – turns out alcohol risks get underestimated for us
- Found a support group that shares queer-friendly doctor recommendations
The craziest part? My bone scan showed early osteopenia. Never would’ve known without pushing for that test. Now I take calcium supplements and do weight training twice a week. Lost count how many queer friends I’ve nagged about getting checked after my experience.
Biggest lesson? We have to be our own health advocates. Docs won’t always bring this stuff up – you gotta show up with specific questions. Still working on the mental health part though. Some weeks those therapy appointments feel harder than squats!