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The first known written usage of the word "lesbian" in the sense meant here dates only from the 19th century. Earlier uses of the word from as far back as the 17th century, can be found but used in an entirely different sense.  Lesbianism is also called ''sapphism'' or ''female homosexuality''. (Sappho penned love sonnets to women. She lived from 610-580 B.C.)

The first known written usage of the word "lesbian" in the sense meant here dates only from the 19th century. Earlier uses of the word from as far back as the 17th century, can be found but used in an entirely different sense.  Lesbianism is also called ''sapphism'' or ''female homosexuality''. (Sappho penned love sonnets to women. She lived from 610-580 B.C.)

In 1997, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Program included lesbians as a priority population.<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/conference/ppt/linda_ellis.ppt#291,3, Progress has been made in recognizing lesbians as a target population]</ref>

Lesbianism is a glorious state of existence. It is the beautiful phenomenon of women loving other women. The people who say lesbianism is immoral are either men who are jealous or women who are trying to tell themselves they are not lesbians. Lesbianism is the epitome of all that is good and pure and holy in this world. I think if God were a woman, He would be a lesbian. In fact, I'm pretty sure God is a woman, and a lesbian. Or else why would She make her symbol of love a rainbow? Women alone are already pure and beautiful and wonderful beings, but women loving other women is like combining cake and ice cream. Conservatives are entirely wrong to say that lesbianism is bad. Lesbianism is a beautiful thing whose wonder cannot be matched by anything else in this world.

 

In the United States, estimates of lifetime same-sex behavior among women are 8%–20%, and 1.4%–4.3% of all women may be sexually active with other women. An estimated 2.3 million women describe themselves as lesbian. In its 1999 report, Lesbian Health: Current Assessment and Directions for the Future, the Institute of Medicine emphasized that more data on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Pap smear screening, and risk for cervical cancer in lesbians were needed.<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol10no11/04-0622_08.htm Lesbians and Infectious Diseases]</ref>

 

==Lesbianism and Health Issues==

 

[[File:11834504 3cc3c49559.jpg|175px|right|thumbnail|In April 2007, the ''American Journal of Public Health'' analyzed data from 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and the data suggested that [[United States|American]] lesbian women were 2.69 times more likely to be overweight and 2.47 times more likely to be obese than all other female sexual orientation groups.

<ref name="ajph">[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17463369&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Overweight and Obesity in Sexual-Minority Women: Evidence From Population-Based Data, Ulrike Boehmer, Deborah J. Bowen, Greta R. Bauer, American Journal of Public Health, 2007 Jun;97(6):1134-40. E pub 2007 Apr 26.]</ref>

 

In regards to lesbianism and obesity, in April 2007, the ''American Journal of Public Health''  analyzed data from 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and the data suggested that [[United States|American]] lesbian women were 2.69 times more likely to be overweight and 2.47 times more likely to be obese than all other female sexual orientation groups.

<ref name="ajph"/> The abstract for this study indicated that "lesbians are at greater risk for morbidity and mortality linked to overweight and obesity." <ref name="ajph" />

 

In 2009, the ''PubMed'' article abstract for a Polish psychiatry journal ''Psychiatria Polska'' article declared:

{{Cquote|Homosexual women are less concentrated on physical appearance and more satisfied with their bodies while being more tolerant to obesity.... For lesbian women the ideal body image is more massive than for heterosexual women.<ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19694404?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1</ref>}}

 

{{Cquote|And - oh heck, I'll admit it - aesthetics have value, too! As a woman, I may not be as focused on looks as men are predisposed to be, but I sure am tired of seeing so many queer ladies out there who are way past 200 pounds. Way, way past. Sorry, but no amount of "fat acceptance" is going to make that a pleasant sight - gay, straight, butch, femme, male or female.<ref>http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/05/obesity_and_les.html</ref>}}

 

 

However, liberals assert that lesbians are considered to be amongst the lowest risk groups for some STDs including HIV <ref name="HIV">[http://www.metrokc.gov/health/glbT/lbstd.htm]</ref>

==See also==

==See also==

*[[Homosexuality and health]]

*[[Homosexuality and health]]

*[[Gertrude Stein]]

*[[Gertrude Stein]]

== External links ==

== External links ==