Wellness Guide: Smoking Cessation

What You Should Know

• Lesbians, also referred to as sexual minority women (SMW), are more likely to be current and former smokers than heterosexual women (Tang, et al., 2004; Case et al., 2004; Cochran et al., 2000; Diamant et al., 2003; Ryan et al., 2001; Hughes et al., 2003; Matthews et al., 2004.).^1-6
  This difference could be partly due to the additional stress of living in a sometimes hostile, intolerant society.

• 64% of African American WPW who participated in a national study reported being current or former smokers.

• Similar numbers of African American same gender loving women (20.9%) and heterosexual women (21.3%) report being a current smoker.

• Women who partner with women tend to smoke more than heterosexual.

• Both lesbians and African Americans women have been specifically targeted by the tobacco industry in advertisements.

• Smoking is a major risk to health and a leading cause of lung cancer.

• More women die from lung cancer than from breast cancer.⁷
In fact it is the leading cause of cancer death among women.

• Smoking leads to uterine cervical, mouth and throat cancers as well ass heart disease, bronchitis and emphysema.

• African American women have a harder time quitting than other women but it can be done. You will see the benefits of quitting smoking no matter when you quit. Although the sooner you quit smoking the better – it's never too late to quit.

• African American women who quit live longer than women who don't quit.

• Quitting cigarette smoking will lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

 

References:

¹ Case, P.; Austin, S.B.; Hunter, D.J.; Manson, J.E.; Malspeis, S.; Willet, W.C.; Spiegelman, D. (2004). Sexual orientation, health risk factors, and physical functioning in the Nurses; Health Study II. Journal of Women's Health 13(9): 1033-1047.

² Cochran, S.D.; Keenan, C.; Schober, C.; Mays, V.M. (2000). Estimates of alcohol use and clinical treatment needs among homosexually active men and women in the U.S. population. Journal of Consult Clinical Psychology 68: 1052-1071.

³ Diamant A.L.; Wold, C. (2003). Sexual orientation and variation in physical and mental health status among women. Journal of Women's Health 12(1): 41-49.

⁴ Ryan, H.; Wortley, P.M.; Easton, A.; Pederson, L.; Greenwood, G. (2001). Smoking among lesbians, gays, and bisexuals: a review of the literature. American Journal of Preventative Medicine 21(2): 142-149.

⁵ Matthews, A.K.; Brandenburg, D.L.; Johnson, T.P.; Hughes, T.L. (2004). Correlates of underutilization of gynecological cancer screening among lesbian and heterosexual women. Preventative Medicine 38(1): 105-113.

⁶ Hughes, T.L.; Jacobson, K.M. (2003). Sexual orientation and women's smoking. Current Women's Health Reports 3(3): 254-261.

⁷ American Cancer Society. (2010). How many women get breast cancer? Retrieved June 1, 2010 from http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/overviewguide/breast-cancer-overview-key-statistics.

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