Let’s get intimate! (at the OBGYN)

Please undress and don the gown

Reproductive and biological healthcare is an extremely intimidating experience for many individuals. The typical drab waiting room, family health history questions you probably don’t know, and so on and so forth. As a legal adult at age eighteen, your guardian may not come back to the examination room with you, unless you choose to permit it. Consistent with HIPAA regulations, the disclosement of your personal medical records and visits requires your direct consent. While this may allow privacy for some people, others may feel like they do not have a support system. This could be either positive for those that seek privacy on their physical matters, or intimidating that there’s no support for serious questions: you’re still just a kid right?

The LGBTQIA+ experience

Reproductive care is a complicated beast…along with all healthcare. It feeds off the big insurance giants that “assist” you in achieving this care, just as every sector does, in order to survive and profit. Sexual and reproductive healthcare covers a vast amount of services: routine check-ups, contraceptives, STD and STI testing, and much more. For such a broad field of healthcare, it doesn’t always seem to be the most accessible.  

From the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, the OBGYN (Obstetrics and Gynecology) experience lists these common topics or occurrences for LGBTQIA+ individuals during their visits:

A.) Childbearing, fertility and matters of heterosexual sex and intimacy

B.) Misunderstanding/lack of competency and dismissal of LGBTQ+ identity

C.) Discriminatory comments and inadequate care plans

Whether an individual identifies as nonbinary, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender, questioning, etc. There are unique circumstances and health risks that are often overlooked or mishandled in the office that can put patients at risk of more than just discomfort at their visit. These physical, social and emotional aspects contribute to the lack of motivation for LGBTQIA+ individuals to seek gynecological health care preventatively and especially when needed. If you’ve been misunderstood once, why try again? 

To note as well, the intersectionality of personal experiences varies vastly among racial, cultural, and religious groups that were not deeply explored in this discussion, but are just as valuable.

Birth control isn’t just for sex 

With typical gynecological visits for care such as pregnancy, fertility, sexual issues, etc. there’s a lot more simple reasons for care as well. I’ve struggled with hormonal acne my entire life, and tried everything to remedy it. Creams, pills, scrubs, harsh medications that require you to get a pregnancy test every. single. month…the list goes on forever. I don’t even remember when I first started birth control, but it was for acne, and I’ve been on it ever since. Every time I need to replenish my supply, I have to go in for another uncomfortable visit where my romantic life is yanked from out of the closet (pun intended). But, I don’t have the confidence to share that I know who I am now: gay. Sexual and reproductive care should not consist of immediate questions like: “do you plan to try for children in the future?”, “are you currently in a relationship or with (a) sexual partner(s)? Many individuals simply want to maintain their health, without a bunch of deep and unwarranted questions served alongside it on a platter.

Time to change the status quo

While there have been big strides of accomplishment for the LGBTQIA+ community throughout history, the sexual and reproductive health sector is trailing behind. Some providers like Dr. Heather Irobunda, MD. are seeking to expand their perspectives and share what they are doing to improve experiences for these individuals.

On the other hand, Many medical programs are not allocating adequate time to educate their future medical professionals on the proper and fair treatment of the LGBTQIA+ population, which is something that must change. Even practicing basic, bare minimum acts such as using non-discriminatory language and avoiding assumptions of heterosexuality, is an open and honest start to improving care. We all deserve to be honest with our provider, no one should feel that their sexuality is a barrier to quality care.