The LGBTQ+ population is a large and diverse community, consisting of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, gender diverse, non-binary, intersex, asexual, Two Spirit, and others. This population is becoming increasingly visible but still experiences discrimination and stigma, which contributes to poorer individual and population health outcomes.(Weeks et al., 2021; Feinstein and Dyar, 2017; Flentje et al., 2021; Frost et al., 2015) In healthcare settings, LGBTQ+ individuals may experience discrimination through cis-heteronormativity, which refers to the presumption that being cisgender (identifying as the same gender to which one was assigned at birth) and heterosexuality make up the default identity. Cis-Heteronormative assumptions can negatively affect care by reducing trust and communication between the provider and an LGBTQ+ patient.(Utamsingh et al., 2016)

Many LGBTQ+ individuals suffer health inequities compared to cisgender and heterosexual individuals, due to a complex combination of structural inequities and life experiences, including higher rates of mental illness and suicidality, some chronic diseases, sexually transmitted infections, and certain cancers.(Lick et al., 2013; Baptiste-Roberts et al., 2017; Hsieh and Shuster, 2021) For example, men who have sex with men are at higher risk of anal cancer due to higher rates of human papillomavirus and human immunodeficiency virus, and lesbian and bisexual women are often diagnosed with breast cancer at younger ages than heterosexual women due to, in part, lower parity and higher bodyweight.(Cathcart-Rake, 2018) Despite higher risks, LGBTQ+ populations appear to be less likely to participate in early detection and cancer screening programs.(Haviland et al., 2020; Charkhchi et al., 2019; Drysdale et al., 2021) These differences in risk appear to agree with the minority stress model, in which minorities experience excessive stress related to fear of or previous experiences with discrimination, denial of care, and social stigma.(Meyer, 2003) However, the barriers, facilitators, and uptake of cancer screening in this population are not well understood.

Despite the elevated risk factors and the potential for reduced screening rates, there are currently few practice guidelines in place to improve the experience of LGBTQ+ individuals in cancer screening care. Therefore, we aimed to describe the current literature on cancer screening uptake in this population, including barriers and facilitators associated with screening participation.