Some facts, figures and thoughts on bisexual health
Being bisexual is sometimes not easy, you have an identity and that is valid and with that comes some specific health concerns.
That being said there is very little research about bisexual health so I'm afraid this bit might be a bit short but you will find useful information on both the lesbian and gay pages for that side of your life.
It can be tough being bi but it can also be great fun and a perfectably normal and acceptable way to live so hang in there and try not to get dragged down by other peoples prejudice and pre-conceptions. It's always worth trying to find other bisexual people, even if only online to begin with. It often helps to bounce things around with people who have had similar expectations.
Here are a few useful websites on bisexuality:
www.bi.org - this is kind of the grand-daddy of bi-resources and is a great place to start. http://serf.org/~jon/soc.bi/ - a server list for bisexuals, has a good FAQ section
So what are the health things to think about if you're bi....
1. Mental Health
This is one of these phrases which gets people uptight before you've even got onto the rest of the sentance but it's not something that you should be scared of. Lots of people have periods of mental ill health, this can range from feeling low and depressed to conditions such as schizophrenia where people become delusional and take occasional breaks from reality. Many of us will have our own experiences of mental health and most will have friends who have mental health problems so it is important that everyone thinks about it.
So lets talk about what you can do when you feel things are going a bit off course. Many of us have the odd day or week when we feel low and life is a bit all over the place and we can't go on. The important thing is that you're not alone and if you need to talk to someone, pick up the phone! If you don't want to ring your mates or your family, ring the Samaritans (08457 90 90 90) or the Lesbian & Gay Switchboard (+44 (0)20 7837 7324) although it seems like a strange suggestion but it can really help to talk to a stranger.
If the things going on in your head are affecting your life, you start missing work, stop talking to your friends, stop sleeping or eating, then you should get soem professional help.Make an appointment to see your GP to discuss what's going on, they might suggest medication or counselling, they might also give you a sick note for some time off work to get things back on track. You might also consider getting in touch with your local LGBT service to find out what counselling or services they offer.
Here are a few places that you could start looking to get help and support, many are London based but have links to other agencies around the country who might be able to help, you may not want to go to an LGBT project but it is worth keeping your options open and ask around the bi-community for where they'd recommend to get help:
www.mind.org.uk/Mind+in+your+area/Cymru/
2 - Cancer
Cancer is one of those things that people speak in hushed tones about but if anyone who was a big Sex in the City fan will know (and fess up, loads of you are!), talking about it, is one of the best things you can do. There are lots of different cancers, just about any cell in your body can decide to go it's merry little way and produce hundreds of clones of itself and then you've got cancer. There isn't space or time to go into all the different types, lots of them are very rare and hopefully few of us will be affected by them in our lives, so here are some of the ones to look out for, the key thing is if you're worried go and get it checked out, many cancers can be treated really well if caught early so don't hang about just go and see your GP.
If you're a bloke......
Testicular Cancer - that's cancer of your balls. It's quite common and affects often young men in their teens and twenties. The key to this one is catch it early, and the way to do that is to play with your balls a lot, get used to how they feel, run your fingers over them in the shower (it's easier standing up) so you get used to what they feel like and if you feel a lump or are concerned pop down to your GP and have a chat. There's a good leaflet at http://www.gmh.org.uk/balls/index.shtml which helps you work out what to look out for.
Prostate Cancer - the prostate is a gland which sits just inside you arse, you can feel it if you finger yourself as a small walnut shaped lump, and it's the bit of you which helps make the fluid bit of cum. Prostate cancer normally affects mature guys and can usually be treated easily. The signs to look out for are
Sometimes your prostate can get enlarged or inflamed for other reasons and that can give you similar symptoms and you may need a blood test to work out what's going on. The main thing is ...... go and see a doctor! There's more info at http://www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/
And if you're a woman...
Okay most of us have some awareness of the 'womens cancers' so we won't go into huge detail here, but the research suggests that many bisexual women are not accessing the screening oportunities offered through the national screening programmes. So here is some basic information about the two main screening opportunities that you should access:
Smears & Cervical Cancer
No one likes having a smear, but the cervical cancer screening programme is there because this is a curable cancer if caught early enough and many women (including lesbians) are found to have abnormalities that can be easily treated. Cervical cancer is associated with the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes gential warts, although many of us carry it without any sign at all. It is an urban myth that women who sleep with women don't need smears, firstly if you've ever had sex with a man you may have picked up HPV and be at risk, and secondly there is some suggestion that you can pass it between you and your partner on toys and finger tips. Women should be offered screening from their 20s and it is never too late to start.
Bolton PCT produced this excellent leaflet on Smears for Lesbians and it's definitely worth a look http://www.bolton.nhs.uk/publications/patient_info/Lesbian%20Smear%20Guide.pdf
Breast Cancer Screening & Mammograms
Well here's another screening opportunity but this time for the more mature among us. One in Eight women will come into contact with breast cancer in their lives and it is a serious disease which can be treated much more easily if caught early. It's not particularly comfortable but it does save lives and for a few minutes of discomfort you could identify an abnormality early when it can be sorted out.
Here are a few sites which will give you some basic information about what screening involves and some more information about breast cancer
http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/Home
http://www.lgf.org.uk/female_health.php?ID=16
And for everyone.....
If you do have cancer or have a friend or relative who has cancer sometimes it's nice to be able to talk or email other people in similar situations. This website is quite useful for linking people together with similar conditions so might be worth a look http://www.mywavelength.com/search_people_h.php?cat=3