Catherine (Cathy) Wheeler and her wife, Linda, have been together for nearly 26 years, and when Cathy was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, Linda was always there for support during her treatment.
“She’s been with me for most of the appointments and just been there the whole time,” says Cathy, noting that even when she had to go alone into surgery, Linda would be there to drop her off at the doors with a hug.
However, during the many appointments that they attended together, Cathy says there was usually a feeling of anxiety towards how a new doctor would react to them as a lesbian couple.
“Every time we went to a new appointment, in dealing with new people, we had to start all over again,” says Cathy. “We had to introduce ourselves and there was that fear of rejection.”
Cathy and Linda’s feelings of uncertainty are not uncommon, as there is a higher level of anxiety for those who identify in the LGBTQI+ community about disclosing their sexuality to their medical team.
This is according to findings from the University of Western Sydney’s ‘Out with Cancer’ study, which also revealed that cancer patients in the LGBTQI+ community are four times more likely to report distress. And of those surveyed, 90 per cent said they’d experienced discrimination in their general lives, and are therefore afraid of how health professionals will treat them during cancer care.
One thing Cathy says might have helped lower some of her own stress during doctor appointments was if hospitals signalled that they are allies in some way, such as having a sign up to announce they are inclusive.
“It’s a simple thing, and it certainly doesn’t show the depth of that organisation’s inclusivity, but a little thing like that when you walk in the door would probably have helped put us at ease.”
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is already hard enough, but unfortunately, for those who identify as part of the LGBTQI+ community, there can be additional challenges and barriers as well as less support systems in place compared to patients in the general cancer population.
Research has even shown that mental and physical changes during treatment, such as hair loss or getting a mastectomy, can affect LGBTQI+ community members’ feelings about their gender and body image.
In Cathy’s situation, she says she feels lucky that after the stress of some of the initial doctor visits, Linda was included in treatment conversations, but knows that other queer people’s experiences could differ depending on their location and what kind of community they’re receiving treatment in.
“Cancer treatment and being gay– it adds an extra layer of uncertainty,” she says.
“I think I have been a bit lucky in that I didn’t experience too much of that. But I know, for a lot of other people it can take over a bit and it becomes the thing that they have to focus on when it shouldn’t have to be.”
Not all LGBTQI+ cancer patients will experience the respect they and their partner deserve, and patients in a gender and sexually diverse partnership might also come up against challenges having their partners or other significant people recognised as family while navigating the health system.
“If you feel that you or your partner isn’t being treated respectfully, like you would expect if it was a husband and wife, then go somewhere else,” Cathy says, emphasising that, whenever possible, LGBTQI+ cancer patients should take control and seek out medical professionals who will respect their identity.
With an increasing number of breast cancer organisations and groups coming out with information and resources for the LGBTQI+ community, Cathy hopes that this leads to more inclusive behaviour from medical and health professionals to make things easier on patients.
Join Breast Cancer Trials’ next free and online Q&A, happening Wednesday 3 May from 5-6:30pm (AEST). The session will be moderated by Australian radio broadcaster and journalist Julie McCrossin AM on the topic of breast cancer in the LGBTQI+ community. To register, click here.