Several resources exist to promote these goals. A. Research has shown that lesbians are less likely to receive pap smears than heterosexual women are. Reasons for this include lack of access to health care services and lack of information among both lesbians and health professionals about lesbian health needs. As a result of this misinformation, lesbians may avoid medical services and health care providers may give incorrect advice and underutilized appropriate health screenings for these patients. However, lesbians, like all women, need regular pap smears.
Pap smears are one of the most effective methods of cancer prevention for women.
The Pap smear tests for abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix that may become cancerous if left untreated. If detected early, these changes can be treated with minimal intervention, discomfort, and cost. While it is thought that lesbians who have never had heterosexual intercourse have less cervical cancer, no research has been conducted to quantify the actual risk to this population. Therefore, lesbians need Pap smears on a regular basis, even if they have never or have rarely been sexually active with men. The Herpes virus can be transmitted when a lesion from one woman comes into contact with the oral mucosa or the genital mucosa of her female partner.