title: Risk of breast cancer mortality among women cohabiting with same sex partners: findings from the National Health Interview Survey, 1997-2003.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lesbians and bisexual women are more likely than other women to evidence a unique mix of common breast cancer risk factors. It is not known if this results in greater breast cancer mortality risk. We investigate possible sexual orientation-related differences in risk for fatal breast cancer in a large representative U.S. sample of married and cohabiting women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1997 and 2003, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) interviewed married or cohabiting female participants, aged 18-80 years inclusively, who reported either a male (n=136,174) or female (n=693) coresidential relationship partner. These records are linked to the National Death Index to provide information on mortality status as of December 31, 2006. Employing these data, we estimated the age-adjusted relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) for mortality attributed to breast cancer using a Cox proportional hazard model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women in same-sex couples, compared to women in different-sex relationships, had greater age-adjusted risk for fatal breast cancer (RR=3.2, CI 1.01-10.21) but did not differ in their overall risk for mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide tentative support that sexual orientation is differentially linked to risk of fatal breast cancer. These findings underscore the need to investigate further breast cancer morbidity and mortality risk among women with minority sexual orientation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1772, USA. cochran@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Cochran
authors.forename: Vickie M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Mays
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009309:National Center for Health Statistics, U.S.; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology