Analysis of the perception of lesbians and bisexual women about HIV health care

Abstract

In Brazil, HIV is considered a public health problem; the cultural, social and political context interferes with the exposure and vulnerability of some population groups to the virus. There has been a lack of discussion about the exposure of lesbian and bisexual women to HIV since the AIDS epidemic began in 1980, since the topic of lesbian and bisexual women's health has not been a priority among the issues raised.The aim of this study was to analyze the perception of lesbian and bisexual women about HIV health care. This is a quantitative, descriptive study based on primary data collected through remote research with women who claim to have sex with women and/or men. The study was carried out in the city of Recife, the collection initially came from the Specialized HIV/AIDS Care Service located at the Oswaldo Cruz Hospital, the research was carried out between the months of May and December 2021. The target population consisted of 35 women over the age of 18, who reported having sex only with women or with both women and men, and was conducted in accordance with the principles governing research involving human beings in Resolution 510/2016. In the study, 51.4% said they had encountered difficulties in relation to the health professionals who attended to them.  54.3% said they had told professionals about their sexuality and 82.9% said they had suffered prejudice because of their sexual orientation; 100% said they knew how HIV is transmitted and 51.4% said they prevented it. By analyzing the responses, it was possible to identify flaws in the care provided by health professionals, which give rise to misinformation, prejudice and the perpetuation of exclusion. In addition to points of weakness, which expose the discomfort, fear and fear of prejudice against the conduct of health professionals, they corroborate the risk of exposure to HIV in the face of erroneous beliefs about forms of prevention carried out by these women.