I Didn’t Wake Up Dead! – Inclusion

According to the American Cancer Society, every three minutes, a woman in the U.S is diagnosed with breast cancer. It is the most common cancer among women, and about 178,480 women will have been found to have invasive breast cancer in 2007. Because of the disparity in health care, African American women are more likely to die from the disease, although more white women are diagnosed with it. Being a lesbian or bisexual woman does not increase one’s risk for breast cancer, but risk factors such as fear of coming out to health care providers, less access to health insurance, and having fewer doctor visits for mammograms and professional breast exams will increase your chances. To address the homophobia life-threatening illnesses lesbian, bisexual and transwomen are likely to face in our health care system, the Mautner Project was founded in 1990, following the 1989 death of Mary-Helen Mautner, from breast cancer.