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<\/p>\nGay Men Twice As Likely To Get Skin Cancer Due To Heavier Tanning Bed Use<\/b><\/p>\n
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A new study from researchers at UC San Francisco has found that gay<\/a> and bisexual<\/a> men<\/a> are up to six times as likely to use indoor tanning beds and twice as likely to get skin cancer compared with heterosexual men<\/a>. For gay<\/a> and bisexual<\/a> women<\/a>, the results were inverted, with heterosexual women<\/a> twice as likely “to report both indoor tanning and non-melanoma skin cancer.”<\/p>\n NewsWise reports:<\/a><\/p>\n The data analysis of 192,575 adult men<\/a> and women<\/a> – 66,677 in California and 125,898 from a national survey — will be published October 7, 2015 in JAMA Dermatology<\/i>.<\/p>\n The difference in skin cancer rates persisted even after the researchers controlled for a history of immunosuppression, including HIV infection status.<\/p>\n “One likely cause of more skin cancer among gay<\/a> and bisexual<\/a> men<\/a> is greater exposure to ultraviolet radiation caused by indoor tanning,” said [Sarah Arron, MD, PhD, a UCSF associate professor of dermatology], who also directs the UCSF High Risk Cancer Program. “Many people, especially younger people, associate tanning with health and attractiveness, and unfortunately, that myth has serious consequences.”<\/p>\n Avoiding ultraviolent exposure form indoor tanning is the easiest way to reduce one’s risk for skin cancer.<\/p>\n The study from UCSF is the first to look at the skin cancer rates of gay<\/a> and bisexual<\/a> men<\/a> compared with those of heterosexual men<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr. Arron added that she hopes this study “will help increase awareness among health care providers that gay<\/a> and bisexual<\/a> men<\/a> constitute a high-risk population for skin cancer, which in turn will lead to increased public health education and more diligent skin cancer screening in this group of men<\/a>.” Arron also stressed the importance of screening in detecting and treating skin cancer.<\/p>\n The post Gay Men Twice As Likely To Get Skin Cancer Due To Heavier Tanning Bed Use<\/a> appeared first on Towleroad<\/a>.<\/p>\n