The Leukaemia Foundation provides inclusive, professional and compassionate support for people experiencing blood cancer and their loved ones. Regardless of your sexual orientation or gender identity, we can help with services and support including:
- Accommodation*
- Transport and financial assistance*
- Information about blood cancer diseases and treatments
- Emotional support
*These services are subject to availability and eligibility criteria.
For more information, please call 1800 620 420 and talk to one of our friendly healthcare professionals.
Who can help?
Many hospitals and treatment centres will display LGBTQIA+ flags and posters to indicate the organisation is LGBTQIA+ inclusive. They will have resources to help you navigate life with blood cancer.
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender, intersex, queer and other sexuality, gender and bodily diverse people and communities throughout Australia manage their health and access inclusive health services. The Genders, Bodies and Relationships Passport aims to support clear communication with health and social care services.
Rainbow Tick organisations are accredited to provide inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ people. Rainbow Health Australia developed the Rainbow Tick program to help you feel safe, welcomed and included.
QLife is an Australia-wide peer-support and referral service run by LGBTIQA+SB people for LGBTIQA+SB people. Their free and anonymous telephone and webchat operates from 3pm to midnight every day.
DocDir is Australia’s LGBTQ+ doctor directory and will help you find a LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare provider in your area.
The Cancer Council has developed a guide to assist LGBTQI+ people with cancer. This includes information to help you understand and cope with a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Being OK…Being you is a guide developed by Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre for young people who have cancer and identify as LGBTQIA+. It includes strategies and tools to help you navigate your cancer care.
Communication with your cancer care team
It’s important your treatment team understands your values, needs and preferences for cancer care. It’s your decision about what information you disclose to your treatment team about your gender, sexual orientation and/or characteristics. Being open and honest can help your treatment team provide you with the information and support you deserve.
The Cancer Council have information to help you communicate with your treatment team:
- Coming out to your cancer care team
- LGBTQI+ people and cancer: Key questions
- How to come out to your health professionals
Questions to ask
The following questions may help you access further information and support during your blood cancer treatment. Ask your treatment team:
- Does this hospital or treatment centre have an LGBTQIA+ inclusive policy?
- Can you recommend any healthcare professionals who provide LGBTQIA+ inclusive care?
- Can I bring my partner to my appointments?
- Do the healthcare professionals caring for me have LGBTQIA+ inclusive training?
- How do you collect my personal information?
- Can you refer me to LGBTQIA+ inclusive support services?
- Can I speak to someone who is LGBTQIA+ and has been diagnosed with cancer?
LGBTQIA+ information and resources
- Intersex people and cancer (cancercouncil.com.au)
- Dealing with cancer when you’re born with intersex variations Dealing with cancer when you’re born with intersex variations | Canteen Australia
- LGBTQI+ people and cancer booklet LGBTQI+ People and Cancer (cancercouncil.com.au)
- LGBTQI+ People and Cancer | Cancer Council NSW
- Transgender and/or gender-diverse people (cancercouncil.com.au)
- LGBTQI+ young people and cancer – Unique health needs and common concerns | Canteen Australia
References
- Almost invisible: A review of inclusion of LGBTQI people with cancer in online patient information resources – ScienceDirect
- Attitudes, knowledge and practice behaviours of oncology health care professionals towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) patients and their carers: A mixed-methods study – ScienceDirect
- Disrupted identities, invisibility and precarious support: a mixed methods study of LGBTQI adolescents and young adults with cancer | BMC Public Health | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
- Frontiers | LGBTQI cancer patients’ quality of life and distress: A comparison by gender, sexuality, age, cancer type and geographical remoteness (frontiersin.org)
- Frontiers | LGBTQI Inclusive Cancer Care: A Discourse Analytic Study of Health Care Professional, Patient and Carer Perspectives (frontiersin.org)
- LGBTQ Cancer Care Toolkit (primeinc.org)
- LGBTQ+ Cancer Survivors More Likely to Have Chronic Conditions, Disabilities – Cancer Therapy Advisor
- LGBTQ+ introduction | eviQ Education
- Out with cancer – Webinar – LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
- TRANS:cribing – OUTpatients
- Webinar: Translating findings from the ‘Out with Cancer’ study into training materials – LGBTIQ+ Health Australia
