Answer Cancer
Gaydio Academy has teamed up with Answer Cancer to help increase cancer screening rates for the LGBTQ+ community in Greater Manchester, delivering guidance and advice, for example, eligibility rules for gender-diverse communities, and also raising awareness about the importance of regular screening and early detection, so everyone in our community knows how and where to find the support they need.
What you need to know and how we can help
Cancer screenings save thousands and thousands of lives every year. They can detect cancers at an early stage and in some cases prevent cancers from developing.
Increasing regular screening rates for LGBTQ+ people across Greater Manchester will help build resilience for our community, so we can all manage our health needs more effectively over the long term.
What cancer are we talking about and who are offered screenings?
So we are talking about 3 types of cancer screenings with Answer Cancer.
That is Bowel Cancer Screening, Breast Cancer Screening & Cervical Cancer Screening.
Below is a minor breakdown of each and who can go for screenings:
Breast Cancer Screenings
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To have screening you have an x-ray of your breast called a mammogram.
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Breast screening is for women between the ages of 50 and 70, it is also for some trans or non-binary people.
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You should get a letter with your results within 2 weeks. This will tell you what you need to do next.
Bowel Cancer Screenings
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Bowel screening aims to find cancer early or to find changes in your bowel that could lead to cancer. The NHS invites people aged 50+ to come for a screening.
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The screening programmes send a bowel cancer testing kit every 2 years to people who can take part.
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You need to be registered with a GP to receive your screening invitations. The test is called FIT - Faecal Immunochemical Test. It looks for tiny traces of blood.
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You do the test at home. The kit contains instructions on what to do including a prepaid envelope to send the sample to the hospital.
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You should get the results within a few weeks. The letter will tell you what you need to do next.
Cervical Cancer Screenings
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The NHS cervical screening programme invites women aged between 25 and 64 for cervical screening.
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Cervical screening is also for anyone within this age range who has a cervix, such as trans men and non-binary people.
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The screening test aims to pick up changes early that could develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.
"I'm a part of the Trans community or non-binary, what are my options?"
For trans and non-binary people, your eligibility for cancer screening will depend on several factors, such as the gender you were assigned at birth and any gender-confirmation treatment you have received.
Cancer Research has compiled a guide to cancer screening for trans and non-binary people, please visit here.
Cancer Signs and Symptoms
If you are feeling unwell or are unsure of your symptoms, give your GP surgery a call and book an appointment as soon as you can to seek further advice. Below is an extensive guide to Bowel, Breast and Cervical Cancer symptoms from Cancer Research. Please click on the relevant heading:
Bowel Cancer Breast Cancer Cervical Cancer
For more information and resources, please head over to the NHS website and Cancer Research, and for more information on Answer Cancer you can click on the logos below:
