Cancer screening prevalence U.S. adults 2019 & 2021, by sexual orientation

In the period from 2019 to 2021, around 65 percent of heterosexual and lesbian women in the United States reported following breast cancer screening guidelines from the American Cancer Society. This means receiving a mammogram within the past year for women aged 45 to 54 years, and in the past two years for those aged 55 years and older. Screening for cancer involves checking the body for cancer before symptoms show, with the CDC supporting cancer screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancers.

Prostate cancer screenings 

Prostate cancer screening rates in the United States were lower compared to other cancers in 2019-2021. At that time, only 37 percent of heterosexual men aged 50 years and older who had not been diagnosed with prostate cancer reported having a prostate specific antigen test within the past year. This rate was higher among gay men with 44 percent, but lower among bisexual men with just 25 percent. Prostate cancer is by far the most common cancer type among men, with an estimated 299,010 new cases in 2024. Fortunately, survival rates for prostate cancer are high, with around 98 percent of men surviving five years after diagnosis. However, the chances of survival increase the sooner the cancer is discovered, highlighting the importance of screening.

Colorectal screenings

The United States Preventative Services Task Force recommends colorectal cancer screenings for adults aged 45 to 75, and the decision for screenings for those aged 76 to 85 to be made on an individual basis. In 2022, the states with the highest colon cancer screening rates among those aged 50 to 75 years were Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. Wyoming and New Mexico had the lowest colon cancer screening rates at that time, with just 64 percent. Colorectal cancer is one of the deadliest cancer types in the United States, causing an estimated 28,700 deaths among men in 2024, and 24,310 among women.