Measuring sexual orientation and gender expression among middle-aged and older women in a cancer screening study

Background. The Cancer Screening Project for Women is about the experiences of legally unmarried women aged 40 to 75 years. Methods. Prior to the implementation of a survey of experiences with breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings, we used cognitive-based interviewing to evaluate questions for measuring sexual orientation and gender expression. Results. We conducted interviews with 40 women, 19 who partner with women and 21 who partner with men. Interviews highlighted respondent confusion, clarified the meaning of terms, and improved the comprehension and utility of questions. Conclusions. Cognitive interview techniques can improve the validity and reliability of data collected by cancer screening programs.