August 20, 2009:  “21 left and counting” reads Jennifer Jabson’s status on Gmail as she logs in to check emails and communicate with the world.  Counting down the number of days before a big athletic event?  Sometimes the number stays stagnant for a couple of days at a time.  On other updates this number drops a few notches.  Sharing the progress of weight loss in her fitness program?   None of the above. 

Jennifer is counting down the number of remaining subjects needed to complete surveys in data gathering for a PhD thesis.  Targeting those who are breast cancer survivors, 21 women remain to question about the quality of their experiences in services provided from diagnosis, treatment, and survival.  Such data collection should be rapid.  What makes participants in this arm of the study unique is that they identify as a sexual minority.   As the slow rate of decrease demonstrates, it has been difficult to reach out to this group of women to study–even on a national level–in hopes to improve their quality of care for the future.   

One of the inspirations for Ms. Jabson creating this study was to understand  services needed for the queer community affected by this disease, and navigating the health issues of perceived and actually discrimination.  “Many of the women I have worked with in this study tell me that they choose not to get involved with breast cancer survivor support resources because they do not want to have to negotiate coming out (to medical staff/fellow survivors) while also dealing with their breast cancer,” Jennifer explains.  As a result statistics show lesbian identified women do not always engage with mainstream groups affiliated with breast cancer and survivorship.  Currently, Ms. Jabson has not been able to find a queer support group in Portland metro area. 

Added stress is shown to slow down the recovery rate of not only breast cancer, but also resulting in other ailments like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and stroke in queer women.  Similar trends with discrimination stress and disease rates are being seen in queer men.

Ms. Jabson has been recruiting participants from all over the country as well as locally sending announcements to women’s athletic teams like the Amazon Dragon’s and PFLAG chapters.  Being mentored by faculty at the Population Center for Research in LGBT Health at Fenway Health Institute in Boston her research personally funded.  For those interested in supporting further research and development in all areas of breast cancer, teams all over the Portland metro area are forming and raising funds towards the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on September 20, 2009.  Amazon Dragon’s are also fundraising in the parallel Row for the Cure to happen on October 4^th.  With your help, the Amazon Dragon’s hope to beat their record of $4,000 raised set last year.

Id Magazine will update you on the results of the Amazon Dragon’s efforts along with the findings of Jennifer Jabson study.  Until models are present as the result of Jabson’s findings she recommends, “Find the support resources for you and if partnered, your partner.  Sure they are difficult to find, but locate them.  Also, build a relationship with your provider and don’t lose hope.”

For more information about Ms. Jennifer Jabson’s study email jjabson@gmail.com. To sponsor Amazon Dragon’s in Row For the Cure visit their website http://www.amazondragons.org.