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Results

Negative experiences in Women’s health

“When you mention that you're a lesbian with a baby, that kind of it throws people. (…) People don't like that.”

“I have to come out on the daily […] Like if you go see doctors and say anything to do with like reproductive health […] it's just difficult navigating and having to tell everybody like all the time.”

“(I said) I didn’t need the pill because I do not have heterosexual sex. […] And then after that, the conversation, the whole atmosphere of the room changed.”

Disclosing sexual identity causes discomfort 

“Not only do I have to tell this woman I am not straight, I have to figure out how she feels about it and make sure it’s safe enough to tell her…”

“I typically don’t mention it in healthcare settings, because I don’t want the quality of my care to change.”

“It's just uncomfortable and kind of threatening […] because you’re not sure what to say next because you don’t know what they are thinking”

Assumptions on partner’s gender and lack of acknowledgment

“They do look at [my partner] sometimes like who the hell are you, is this your sister? Erm no that’s my wife!”

“They just leave her in the background […] they won’t even look or glance at [her].”

“You just kind of feel quite small […] like a bit of an inconvenience in the room.”

“It’s people assuming all the time that… just because I don’t look like the lesbian stereotype that people automatically assume I’ve got a husband.” 

Discussion