Using human rights-based approaches to conceptualise lesbian and bisexual women’s health inequalities

Abstract

This article makes a contribution to current debates in human rights-based approaches to lesbian and bisexual (LB) women's health. With reference to concepts embodied in the Yogyakarta Principles, it is proposed that the right to health includes access to health information, participation, equity, equality and non-discrimination. Specifically, the article examines how LB women's health can be considered as a health inequality and discusses international developments to reduce disparities. Drawing on qualitative data collected in an online survey, the article reports on sexual minority women's experiences of health-care. Participants were recruited via a purposive sampling strategy; questionnaires were completed by 6490 respondents of whom 5909 met the study criteria of residence in the UK, sexual orientation and completing the survey once. Analysis revealed four broad themes: heteronormativity in health-care; improving attitudes among healthcare professionals; equality in access; raising awareness and informed communities. The accounts highlight the centrality of human rights principles: fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy. The implications for healthcare policy and practice are discussed including ways to empower staff and service users with knowledge and skills and ensuring non-discrimination in health service delivery.

Stigma, sexual health, and human rights among women who have sex with women in Lesotho

“…14,15 However, despite evidence of vulnerability to HIV and other STIs, 16,17 women who have sex with women (WSW) have been absent from the global discourse on HIV. 18–20 Data linking health and human rights for WSW are rare, 21 and virtually nonexistent in the African context. Our study addressed this lack of data by examining the relationships between sexual stigma, human rights, and HIV/STIs among women who have sex with women (WSW) in Lesotho.…”

Considerations for the design of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention programs for lesbian and bisexual women

“…Therefore, programs oriented to this population should emphasize these components because sexual education for LB women is significantly lower in comparison with heterosexual women 22 . This situation may affect the quality of health care and social support, because the information provided by different agents such as family, teachers, peers, health professionals and media, is generally detached from their needs, concerns, sexual practices, and experiences 14,23 . Beyond providing information about HIV, programs must use strategies to address ethnical, cultural and gender factors of female sexual health.…”

“…This is not referring exclusively to a proper health care; it also includes receiving accurate information, participating in health care programs, being treated equally and without discrimination. As suggested by Fish and Bewley, the silence and invisibility that has surrounded LB women in the HIV epidemic is a violation of their human rights 14 . In fact, HIV prevention programs designed for this population are almost nonexistent, but few efforts have been reported in high-income countries 7,15,16 .…”

The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender

“…Overwhelmingly, these studies suggest that there are a number of barriers to lesbians accessing and benefiting from healthcare. For example, in Fish and Bewley's (2010) study of close to 6000 lesbians in the United Kingdom, it is widely reported that healthcare professionals typically assume heterosexuality in their interactions with patients. Fish and Bewley cite an example where a participant was asked by a doctor whether she was sexually active.…”