Study: Gay men tan more and get more skin cancer

Kim Painter | Special to USA TODAY

Gay and bisexual men in the United States are twice as likely as heterosexual men to get skin cancer, a new study shows.

One likely reason: Gay and bisexual men are three times more likely to engage in indoor tanning, according to the study to be presented Friday in San Francisco at a meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

The study suggests that anti-tanning messages, most often aimed at young women, need to be broader, says researcher Sarah Arron, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco.

"The primary reason that men and women engage in indoor tanning is because of the cultural association of tanning with a healthy look and overall attractiveness," Arron says. "We need to dispel the myth of the healthy tan."

Tanning, whether in the sun or in a tanning bed, can cause skin cancer, including melanoma, the most dangerous kind, according to the U.S. Surgeon General's office.

For the study, Arron and colleagues first looked at data from government health surveys conducted in California between 2001 and 2009. Those surveys found elevated rates of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers among gay and bisexual men but not gay and bisexual women. They also found gay and bisexual men in that state were much more likely to engage in indoor tanning than straight men were.

Gay and bisexual women in California were less likely than straight women to tan indoors.

The researchers then looked at national health survey data for 2013 and found the same thing: A history of skin cancer was twice as common in gay and bisexual men as in straight men, 6.6% vs. 3.3%. About 5% of gay and bisexual men said they had engaged in indoor tanning in the past year vs. 1.7% of straight men. Gay and bisexual women were, again, less likely than straight women to report indoor tanning.

Indoor tanning might not be solely responsible for the increased skin cancer risk in gay and bisexual men, Arron says.

Follow-up studies should look at sun exposure and use of sunscreen and other protective measures to fully sort out what prevention messages are needed, she says.

"While unfortunate and alarming, the findings are not all that surprising," says Fred Sainz, vice president for communication at the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group for gay rights.

One reason is that tanning is indeed perceived as youthful and attractive by many gay men, he says. "It's short-term gain vs. long-term pain," he says.

But Sainz says it's also true that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people face all sorts of increased health risks. Many are rooted in stigma, he says.

Tari Hanneman, associate director of a health program affiliated with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, explains that some gay and bisexual men might avoid regular check-ups – including skin checks – because of fears of discriminatory treatment.

Also, she says, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are less likely than other people to have health insurance.