Barriers in Access to Health Care Services among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT)

Priya Darshani Giri, Anup Adhikari, Mamata Pradhan, Ishu Yogi, Sudip Khanal

Health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction on any basis. Yet,the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender population still suffer from prejudice and discrimination in access and use of these serviceswhich place disparities in health status between sexual- and gender-minority and heterosexual individuals. The purpose of this Descriptive cross-sectional study was to assess the barriers in access to health care services among the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) individuals within the Kathmandu Valley using Semi-structured questionnaires. This study was conducted among 87 LGBT participants including 49.9% Cisgender, 50.6% Transgender,50.6% heterosexual, 46% homosexual, and 3.4% bisexual individuals. Only28.7% of them faced physical barriersi.e.,toilet 76% and registration forms 76%, changing room 36%, wards 24%, gender binary queues 20%, and Age of <21 (p=0.035)and Homosexual group (p=0.021) statistically significant with behavioral barriers. However, Age of group >38(p=0.001), respondent with secondary level (p=0.005) and socially open about own sexual orientation and gender identity associated with Psychological barriers.

https://doi.org/10.31871/IJNTR.5.3.24