Scottish lesbians aren’t doing so well.
That is, of course, if you believe a new survey indicating that the nation’s lady lovers are facing some uphill mental health battles:
A total of 500 Scottish women took part in the Prescription for Change survey, which was conducted by the charity Stonewall.
It found that 20 per cent of lesbian and bisexual women in Scotland had deliberately harmed themselves in the last year, compared to 0.4 per cent of the general population.
The study also found that five per cent of lesbian and bisexual women have attempted to take their own life in the last year.
The poll also shows that the ladies aren’t taking proper physical precautions, like getting tested for cervical cancer and the such. You would think lesbians would like that sort of thing…
Alexa
Oh yeah, a pap smear is my idea of fun. I just love having cold steel shoved inside me, stretching me open while a middle aged man scrapes away my insides hard enough to make me bleed. It’s right up there with the mammogram on the enjoyment scale.
l
Someone at Queerty needs a big ol’ colonoscopy, no anesthetic.
A.T.
Excuse me? Lesbians enjoy what kind of thing?
CE
Yeah, just like all gay men love having prostate exams and colonoscopies. /eyeroll
Jude
I can honestly say, no one could ever enjoy a colonoscopy. And I strongly doubt any woman would enjoy a pap smear.
Ruby
Just.not.funny.
Steph Mineart
What? I’m gay, but pelvic exams ain’t fun.
Lots of doctors are just not sensitive to the health care needs, privacy issues, and sexual health of women in general and lesbians in particular. Doctors can be homophobic, and lots of women will avoid going to the doctor after one or two bad experiences with anti-gay doctors or nurses.
Faith
What part of opening your legs for some medical doctor who may or may not give a shit about you, getting a speculum shoved up your vaginal canal and stretched open, usually none too gently, having a swab stuck up there and scraped around for dysplastic cells, sounds fun?
I want to know who wrote this and where I can apply for the medical/health beat at Queerty.
Daomadan
“The study also found that five per cent of lesbian and bisexual women have attempted to take their own life in the last year.”
Lesbian and bisexual women are killing themselves and you’re cracking jokes about cervical exams? FAIL.
InfamousQBert
there’s nothing sexy at ALL about a pelvic exam. there are a lot of men who enjoy anal penetration (even gasp! straight men) but i bet they don’t get turned out by their prostate exam. even the best exam by the best, most caring doctor, is still someone uncomfortable. they’re forcing the cervix open (you know, that thing we have to wait to open slowly to have a baby), using a metal instrument that can pinch the skin if you feel a little shy and don’t open your legs enough. then they’re scraping around in there and pushing on things that don’t normally get pushed on. it’s a cold medical room, with crunchy paper and a thin gown, with at least 2 people you’re not that familiar with looking at your most personal area. i’m trying not to be belligerent, but fuck you if you think ANY healthy woman would get turned on by that.
DW
UM, what is the point of this “article?” Perhaps if DISCRIMINATION and EXCLUSION weren’t factors in being a lesbian perchance things would be different. No woman likes getting a pelvic exam, you dolt. Oh, excuse me, I meant jackass.
M66
You know, after all the offensive and annoying “you’d think gay men would like (place anal insertion reference here)” jokes I’ve heard over my lifetime, that gay men would be much more sensitive about these kinds of things. Apparently not.
Queerty, meet my shitlist.
woland
Not funny.
Especially not funny coming from a queer site.
If you’re actually interested in learning about lesbian health issues, including reasons why women who have sex with women avoid health care providers (hint: ignorance kind of like that you express is one of them), you could start with sites such as this: http://www.rainbowhealth.ca/english/index.html.
And before anyone considers a knee-jerk response, no lesbians aren’t humourless. Some of us have just seen too many friends suffer because of poor medical care to find this funny.
Katie
Yeah, ditto to all the “so not funny” comments.
HypeJersey
Wow.. really dumb. When did you let 12 year olds write these things?
RPCV
Well, I guess it couldn’t be because gay people are predisposed to depression, anxiety, etc., anyway. I suspect that the percentage of gays on Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft, and the rest, is higher than the population in general – in ANY country in the world with access to these drugs…….
watercat
Having to endure a lifetime filled with degrading, insulting comments like that post, I’m sure, is a lot of why so many of these people kill themselves. You’re the reason.
CLD
“You would think lesbians would like that sort of thing…”
What kind of stupid ass comment is that? What in the world would make anyone think a person of any persuasion would enjoy having a large, cold metal object jammed into their private parts? STFU.
RPCV
CLD: “You would think lesbians would like that sort of thing…†I’ve known some dykes who stick monstrous sized dildos made of all types of material up their “private parts.” Maybe Queerty assumed that hardened dykes (and you know who you are), would, in fact, like that sort of thing……..
jjme
I’m just echoing what everyone else here is saying, but it bears repeating. WHY would a woman enjoy a pap smear just because she’s a lesbian. I’m not as much offended, as I am confused. First of all, don’t all women share the same hardware down there? Why would one sexuality enjoy said hardware in a different way from another? In other words, if this weird theory of yours is true, and a woman were to enjoy a pap smear (as if!), then why would a lesbian be the only one to be able to get off in this manner? Secondly – WHO THE FUCK ENJOYS A MEDICAL EXAM? Do men get off on the ol’ prostate exam? huh? huh? Ridiculous.
kendall joy
Excuse me. Who’s idea was it to channel the captain of the high skool football team?
Sexual health is a serious component of overall physical and emotional health. Is it any wonder that they suffer together?
fingers
I hate pap smears. I hate them so much I don’t go. Why would a lesbian like a pap smear? Do men enjoy prostate exams? Do gay men? Do gay men like to be raped in prison more than straight men? I mean come on.
Now if my OBGYN threw in a lick…..(Just trying to lighten up the situation, I am NOT being real.)
M66
>I’ve known some dykes who stick monstrous sized dildos made of all types of material up their “private parts.â€
Yeah, I’ve known gay men who like to stick monstrous sized dildos up their “private parts”, too. Does that make you “hardened faggots” like prostate exams any better?
RPCV
M66: “Yeah, I’ve known gay men who like to stick monstrous sized dildos up their “private partsâ€, too. Does that make you “hardened faggots†like prostate exams any better?” Well, once the muscles have been flexed/worked long and hard, having a finger up there feels like nothing. Quite frankly, when my sexy doc puts that glove on and lubes it up, he sees my doggie eyes looking at his hand and, well, we both enjoy it………..