Screening for LGBTIQA+ people
LGBTIQA+ communities face extra barriers to breast screening.
Learn more about our inclusive practices.
Making screening inclusive for LGBTIQA+ people
Through consultation with LGBTIQA+ communities, we found that their main barriers to screening include:
- Previous discrimination in healthcare
- Lack of representation in promotional materials
- Unclear eligibility criteria
- Fear that they may have to ‘come out’ in the process
We are continuously working to remove these barriers to ensure a safe and inclusive experience for everyone, regardless of sex, gender and sexual orientation.
Screening for trans and gender-diverse people (TGD)
As a TGD person, you may have a unique set of factors that affect your risk of breast cancer. We recommend you speak to your doctor about your personal risk and screening needs.
If you’re between the ages of 50 and 74, the table below summarises whether screening may benefit you:
Trans women
If you have been taking gender-affirming hormones (like oestrogen) for 5 years or more, screening every 2 years may be beneficial.
But if you have taken hormones for less than 5 years, or have not taken any hormones, we do not recommend screening.
Trans men
If you have not had chest surgery, we recommend screening every 2 years.
If you have had chest surgery:
- There are currently no clear recommendations. We suggest talking to your doctor about your individual risk factors, including previous surgical and hormone treatment.
- If your doctor confirms – or you are sure – you have no remaining breast tissue, screening is not possible or necessary.
Non-binary/gender-diverse people
If you were assigned female at birth and have NOT had chest surgery, we recommend screening every 2 years.
If you HAVE had chest surgery:
- There are currently no clear recommendations. We suggest talking to your doctor about your individual risk factors, including previous surgical and hormone treatment.
- If your doctor confirms – or you are sure – you have no remaining breast tissue, screening is not possible or necessary.
If you were assigned male at birth and have been taking gender-affirming hormones (like oestrogen) for 5 years or more, we recommend screening every 2 years.
Achieving our Rainbow Tick accreditation
In March 2019, we reached a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to promote diversity, inclusion and accessible screening for LGBTIQA+ people.
We received Rainbow Tick accreditation – a first for a breast screening service in Australia.
The Rainbow Tick accreditation is developed by Rainbow Health Australia and aims to promote long-lasting LGBTIQA+ inclusion.
This accreditation is a testament to our commitment to understanding and servicing the needs of LGBTIQA+.
Frequently asked questions
Our research identified the following barriers to screening for trans and gender-diverse people:
- Previous experiences of discrimination in healthcare
- Lack of representation in promotional materials
- Lack of knowledge about screening
- Staff ignorance
- Transphobia
- Fear of being misgendered or having to ‘come out’ in the process
- Embarrassment
- Unclear eligible criteria
- Dysphoria or anxiety due to fear of the test
These barriers can negatively impact a person’s experience and choice – and deter them from accessing routine screening.
There is currently limited guidance on breast/chest screening for intersex people. If you have an intersex variation, you should speak with your doctor to discuss your individual needs.
If breast/chest screening is recommended, you can attend a BreastScreen Victoria clinic – provided you are over the age of 40 and meet our other eligibility criteria.
When you book and attend your appointment, we will only ask for information that is relevant to your breast/chest screening.
We will not ask you to disclose your sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status.
If you’d like us to record this information on your file, please let us know. We will not record this information unless you provide consent. If recorded, our staff will be able to access this information.
If you are aged 50 to 74, we recommend a breast/chest screen every 2 years for:
- Cis women
- Trans women (with 5+ years on HRT)
- Trans men or non-binary people who have not had top surgery
We ask all clients this question when they book. This is because you may require a longer appointment (approximately 20 minutes) as we ensure the implant does not affect the mammogram results.
We ask all clients this question when they book. People who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may develop denser breast tissue, which may affect their x-ray images.
It is more difficult to detect breast cancer in dense breasts.
At BreastScreen Victoria, we do not screen clients who have had a double mastectomy, regardless of gender. We suggest you speak to your doctor about your individual risk factors, including previous surgical and hormone treatment.
If your doctor confirms – or you are sure – you have NO remaining breast tissue, screening is not possible.