Healthcare access for women who have sex with women in cape town, South Africa

Understanding the health needs and experiences of South African lesbians, bisexuals, and other women who have sex with women (WSW) is imperative for implementing effective and inclusive public health strategies. Such understanding, however, is limited due to the exclusion of WSW from most of the existing research on LGBT health and health care access in the region. This project aims to bridge that gap through a qualitative study investigating healthcare access for lesbian, bisexual and other WSW in Cape Town. This study is based on data gathered from participant observation and semi-structured qualitative interviews with LGBT community members, university students, and service providers to explore various components of healthcare access for WSW. Interviews explore obstacles WSW face in accessing LGBT affirming health services and programs, confidence in ability to disclose sexual orientation to or discuss same-sex sexual behavior with health providers, fear of stigma or discrimination, availability of information on safer sex practices for WSW, and suggestions of improvements for existing programs. For service providers, topics included experiences while interacting with LGBT clients or patients, motivation for working with LGBT individuals, and efforts for inclusiveness in various programs. These discussions contribute to a more inclusive understanding of the experiences of WSW in accessing healthcare and other services. This is significant because, in order to provide meaningful and effective care, public health and service providers must first understand the disparities and obstacles that LGBT people encounter, and how they might best be addressed going forward.