[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/03\/prostate-and-testicular-cancer-in-lgbtqia-community\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/03\/prostate-and-testicular-cancer-in-lgbtqia-community\/","headline":"Prostate and Testicular Cancer in the LGBTQIA+ Community","name":"Prostate and Testicular Cancer in the LGBTQIA+ Community","description":"Men who have sex with men and gay and bisexual men should know their risks of prostate and testicular cancers and how to get screened for these cancers.","datePublished":"2024-03-01","dateModified":"2025-06-04","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/hillman.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC Hillman Cancer Center","url":"https:\/\/hillman.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc-hillman-cancer-center\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1337312735.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1337312735.jpg","height":867,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/03\/prostate-and-testicular-cancer-in-lgbtqia-community\/","about":["Cancer Care","Health Topics A-Z","LGBTQIA+ Health","Living and Wellness"],"wordCount":1554,"articleBody":"Some members of the LGBTQIA community may be at risk of prostate and testicular cancers. Anyone with a prostate and\/or testicles can develop prostate and testicular cancers, including men and trans women assigned male at birth. However, some people may have a higher risk than others for one or both of these cancers.Knowing the risk factors, symptoms and screening procedures can increase the chances of finding cancer early. Finding cancer early can mean earlier treatment and better long-term experiences.LGBTQIA+ Prostate Cancer BasicsProstate cancer is the most common cancer besides skin cancer that affects men in the United States. About one out of eight U.S. men (or people assigned male at birth) will develop prostate cancer in their lifetimes. The risk of prostate cancer gets higher with age, especially after age 65.Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer. One out of 10 men who died of cancer in 2022 died of prostate cancer. But, screenings and finding prostate cancer early increase the chances of survival.Black men and men in their 70s and 80s are more likely than other men to develop prostate cancer. It’s not clear if gay and bisexual men and men who have sex with men get prostate cancer more than other men. But, it does seem that men who have sex with men get prostate cancer at younger ages than other men.Men who have sex with men also appear to get prostate cancer screenings less often than other men. Fewer screenings mean not finding cancer early, which delays treatment.LGBTQIA+ Testicular Cancer BasicsTesticular cancer is much less common than prostate cancer but occurs more often in younger men and middle-aged men. Anyone with at least one testicle can develop testicular cancer, including anyone assigned male at birth who has a different gender identity.The average age of men diagnosed with testicular cancer is 33, and it occurs mostly between ages 15 to 35. About 1 out of 250 U.S. males develop testicular cancer during their lifetimes.Testicular cancer is also less deadly than prostate cancer because doctors can treat it effectively. The average man’s risk of dying from testicular cancer is about one in 5,000. But, men living with HIV or AIDS may have a higher risk of testicular cancer than other men.LGBTQIA+ Health DisparitiesExperts are still learning about the risks of prostate and testicular cancer in men who have sex with men. The chances of developing these cancers in men who have sex with men are about the same as in other men.But, the quality of life and long-term outcomes of having prostate cancer are often worse for men who have sex with men. Gay and bisexual men who survive prostate cancer may have worse mental health than other men who survive prostate cancer. They might also have a worse function in their bowels, urination, and hormones.There are several reasons gay and bisexual men have worse experiences with prostate cancer than other men. The biggest reason is less access to health care. Men who have sex with men are less likely than other men to have:Access to health care that is right for their needs and culture.Health insurance.Health care without judgment or stigma.A job and a home.A primary health care provider.Other barriers also exist for gay and bisexual men getting high-quality health care. Many health care providers don’t have the training and knowledge to give appropriate care to men who have sex with men. Men who have sex with men may also have concerns about seeing a doctor because of discrimination, bias, or stigma.Many gay and bisexual men have experienced poor treatment, rudeness, or no care at all. For example, a 2023 study asked LGBTQIA+ men with prostate cancer about their experiences of discrimination.That study found:Almost half the men (46%) experienced at least one instance of discrimination.43% of the men said their provider did not listen to them.25% said the provider talked down to them.20% said they received worse care than others.10% said one of their providers seemed to be afraid of them.LGBTQIA+ Prostate Cancer Risk FactorsSome men are more likely to develop prostate cancer than other men. Black men and those with a relative who had prostate cancer have a higher risk of prostate cancer.Prostate cancer risk also increases with age, especially in men over age 65. Gay and bisexual men can lower their risk of prostate cancer by talking to their doctor about prostate cancer screening.LGBTQIA+ Prostate Cancer ScreeningLGBTQIA+ men, men who have sex with men, and other people with a prostate should ask their provider about prostate cancer screening. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends men consider prostate cancer screening between ages 55 to 69. But, men with higher risk should talk to their providers earlier.Men age 40 and older should ask about screening if they have a BRCA gene mutation.Men age 40 and older should also ask about screening if more than one man in their immediate family had prostate cancer.Men aged 45 and older should ask about screening if they are Black or had a father or brother with prostate cancer.The American Cancer Society recommends all other men ask about prostate cancer screening at age 50 or older. Screening can involve the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test or a rectal exam done with a provider’s gloved hand.A PSA test does not always tell you for sure if you have prostate cancer, but it gives you more information. Men with a high PSA level may have cancer and need more tests to find out. However, some men with a high PSA level do not have cancer.Also, about one in seven men with a normal PSA may have prostate cancer. A physical exam to look for a swollen prostate can help find cancer in these men.LGBTQIA+ Testicular Cancer Risk FactorsGay and bisexual men and trans women can reduce their risk of testicular cancer by knowing their risk. The most common ages of men with testicular cancer is between ages 15 to 35. About half of all men who get testicular cancer are between the ages of 20 and 34.Intersex individuals may also be at higher risk for testicular cancer if they have certain chromosome variations. If you’re intersex with at least one Y chromosome and one testicle, ask your doctor about your cancer risk and screening options.White men are more likely to get testicular cancer than men of other races or ethnicities. Other factors can raise the risk of testicular cancer:A condition called hypospadias is where the hole in the penis is not at the tip.Having a family member who had testicular cancer.Having had testicular cancer once already.Having HIV or AIDS.Having one undescended testicle, or a testicle that has not dropped.High exposure to pesticides may increase risk.Men who have sex with men should talk to their provider about their risk of testicular cancer.SourcesSOURCES:Cancer Facts for Gay and Bisexual Men. American Cancer Society. LinkCancer Facts for Men. American Cancer Society. LinkChallenges you might face as an intersex person. Cancer Council NSW. February, 2023. LinkDigital Rectal Exam (DRE). American Society of Clinical Oncology. LinkElena Laroche and Sylvain L'Esp\u00e9rance. Cancer Incidence and Mortality among Firefighters: An Overview of Epidemiologic Systematic Reviews. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. March 3, 2021. LinkFamily Health History and the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Public Health Genomics Branch in the Division of Blood Disorders and Public Health Genomics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. LinkGay Men and Cancer. LGBT Cancer Information. National LGBT Cancer Network. LinkHoward S. Levin, Tumors of the Testis in Intersex Syndromes. Urologic Clinics of North America. August, 2000. LinkJames J Goedert, Mark P Purdue, Timothy S McNeel, et al. Risk of germ cell tumors among men with HIV\/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. June 2007. LinkKevin C Heslin, John L Gore, William D King, and Sarah A Fox. Sexual orientation and testing for prostate and colorectal cancers among men in California. Medical care. December 2008. LinkKey Statistics for Testicular Cancer. American Cancer Society. LinkMartin Kathrins and Thomas F. Kolon. Malignancy in disorders of sex development. Translational Andrology and Urology. October, 2016. LinkMartine Cools, et al. Germ Cell Tumors in the Intersex Gonad: Old Paths, New Directions, Moving Frontiers. Endocrine Reviews. August, 2006. LinkMichael W Ross, B R Simon Rosser, Elizabeth J Polter, et al. Discrimination of Sexual and Gender Minority Patients in Prostate Cancer Treatment: Results from the Restore-1 Study. Stigma and Health. January 20, 2022. LinkOmid Yazdanpanah, David J. Benjamin, and Arash Rezazadeh Kalebasty. Prostate Cancer in Sexual Minorities: Epidemiology, Screening and Diagnosis, Treatment, and Quality of Life. Cancers. May 8, 2023. LinkProstate Cancer: Screening. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. LinkProstate Cancer. What Are the Benefits and Harms of Screening? Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. LinkRisk Factors for Testicular Cancer. American Cancer Society.LinkSertac Yazici, Dario Del Biondo, Giorgio Napodano, et al. Risk Factors for Testicular Cancer: Environment, Genes and Infections\u2014Is It All?. Medicina. April 7, 2023. LinkT Powles, M Bower, G Daugaard, et al. Multicenter study of human immunodeficiency virus-related germ cell tumors. Journal of Clinical Oncology. May 15, 2003. LinkTesticular Cancer: Risk Factors. American Society of Clinical Oncology. Link"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"03","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/03\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Prostate and Testicular Cancer in the LGBTQIA+ Community","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/03\/prostate-and-testicular-cancer-in-lgbtqia-community\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]