Homophobia in Healthcare: Discrimination, Attitudes and Evolution

This essay delves into the persistent issue of homophobia within the healthcare system. It begins by acknowledging the historical and ongoing social stigma surrounding homosexuality, highlighting how negative attitudes among healthcare professionals, including psychotherapists, contribute to discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals. The essay explores the evolution of societal and medical perspectives on homosexuality, from being considered a sin to a mental illness and finally, to a recognized aspect of human diversity. It examines the impact of these changing attitudes on healthcare practices, including the denial of proper treatment and the need for sensitive and culturally competent care. The essay also discusses the role of social and political movements, such as the gay rights movement, in influencing attitudes and advocating for equal rights. It emphasizes the importance of addressing discrimination, promoting confidentiality, and involving LGBTQ+ individuals in their care, ultimately calling for increased awareness, research, and sensitivity to ensure equitable healthcare access and treatment for all.

Running head: HOMOPHOBIA IN HEALTHCARE
HOMOPHOBIA IN HEALTHCARE
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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Question: Is homophobia still a problem in healthcare today?
Till date homophobia and homosexuality has been considered as a social stigma in many
places. Psychotherapists still have negative attitudes towards homosexual people in spite of their
presence in the population from time immemorial. Nowadays, the perception of the mental
health practitioners towards the homosexuals is gradually improving. Today the mental health
practitioners cannot ignore the homosexual people as they constitute of about 10-15% of the
population (Morgan & Nerison, 1993).
Surveys have found that many homosexuals are refused proper treatment as they don’t
recognize same sex couples as proper couples. Many homosexuals have to travel interstate as
they do not get proper treatment due to discrimination (Morgan & Nerison, 1993)..
Previously according to the Judeo Christian tradition, homosexuality was considered as a
sin. This early conceptualization of homosexuality has been carried forward to the present and
will still continue its tradition in the near future (Irwin, 2007). Early treatments were also there to
cure homosexuality where the concerned patients were subjected to creepy and weird treatments,
till it was found that it is not an illness (Rose 1994). Gradually the condition moved from the
climate where homosexuality was considered as a sin to sickness, the society finally started to
understand the reasons of homosexuality.
The role of Gay and lesbian rights were also crucial in providing status to them. In these
movements many individuals shown the courage to step forward and had identified themselves
as gay and lesbians (Bowers et al. 2006). After all these political, social turmoil and finally, the
establishment of the gay rights did it change the attitudes of the mental health professionals?

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Research on mental health professionals’ attitudes towards the homosexuals implies that
a large number of professionals still retains negative perceptive about the gay people. Decrenzo
(1985) found that the persons who self identified themselves as the hetero sexual were that first
to bear a stereotypic belief about the homosexuals. The social workers were found to be more
homophobic and the psychologists were found to be more homophobic. According to (Graham et
al., 1984), most of the psychologists still believe that the gay and the lesbians need special
training to change their life style.
Discrimination still exists against the homosexuals despite of the rising social tolerance
and the right induced for them in the 1970s (Irwin, 2007). The different form of discrimination
include inconsistent laws regarding, no recognition of the same sex relationship.
The nurses and the other health care workers should consider their professional
obligations for the minority groups like the homosexuals. The healthcare professionals need to be
more sensitive towards the cultural differences. According to (Bowers et al. 2006) The health
care professionals need to me more sensitive while dealing these people , they should try to
maintain the confidentiality and should be allowed in the decision making process.
The attitudes towards human homosexuality has evolved over time, be it the change in
the perception of homosexuality as a mental illness or considering the oppressions faced by the
homosexuals. Sufficient researches and attention are still to be made to the population of the
homosexuals in terms of class issues, ethnicity, and emotional, physical and cognitive
impairment.

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References
Bowers, R. (2006). How we manage sexual and gender diversity in the public health system: A
Research Report. University of New England.
Irwin, L. (2007). Homophobia and heterosexism: implications for nursing and nursing
practice. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, The, 25(1), 70.
Morgan, K. S., & Nerison, R. M. (1993). Homosexuality and psychopolitics: An historical
overview. PSYCHOTHERAPY-RIVER EDGE-, 30, 133-133.
Rose, L. (1994). Homophobia among doctors. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 308(6928), 586.