16 February 2022
Five articles to read for LGBTQ+ History Month
Discover five articles from the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care to read as part of LGBTQ+ History Month.
This February, we’re celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month. At the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, we’re proud to have a range of staff who actively carry out research with and about LGBTQ+ people, to enhance understanding, education, and improve care for the community.
We’re showcasing five articles, written or co-written by academics from the Faculty, which we encourage you to read as part of LGBTQ+ History Month.
Issues affecting trans* young people: considerations for mental health nurses
Roy Litvin, Gemma Trainor, Tommy Dickinson
This article discusses the growing body of research and best practice guidelines related to the mental health and social needs of young people identifying as trans*. It aims to support mental health nurses to enhance their knowledge and awareness of the unique needs of these young people. It may also provide useful information to parents and/or carers, education providers, policymakers and mental health practitioners.
Why should you read this article?
- To understand the correct terminology used with gender identity
- To learn about the prevalence of mental health disorders among trans* young people
- To recognise the mental health issues that affect trans* young people
Why does palliative care need to consider access and care for LGBTQ people?
Debbie Braybrook, Richard Harding, Donna Wakefield, Chris EC Kane, Claude Chidiac
Palliative care aims to be fundamentally person-centred, seeking to understand a person as a whole and identifying what matters to them. This article considers whether the palliative care community fully understands the importance of sexuality and gender as central aspects of identity for patients, and whether in their work they are taking steps towards promoting access and inclusive care for LGBTQ people.
Why should you read this article?
- To learn what steps we need to take in order to deliver inclusive, person-centred palliative care, end-of-life care, and to reduce health inequities
- To recognise the importance of language in inclusive care
- To understand the need for further research and monitoring to improve LGBTQ health.
Cultivating awareness of sexual and gender diversity in a midwifery curriculum
Teresa Arias, Bethan Greaves, Jess McArdle, Hannah Rayment, Shawn Walker
The number of LGBTQ+ people giving birth is increasing in the UK, but there is a lack of evidence that guides optimal midwifery practice for this group. The findings from this mixed method exploratory study proposes that students need learning opportunities that develop self-awareness and open-mindedness.
Why should you read this article?
- To explore the perspectives of student midwives, midwifery educationalists and midwifery clinicians and their awareness of sexual and gender identity.
- To gain an insight into how midwifery training could be enhanced to increase confidence in caring for childbearing LGBTQ+ people.
‘They will be afraid to touch you’: LGBTI people and sex workers’ experiences of accessing healthcare in Zimbabwe
Jennifer Hunt, Katherine Bristowe, Sybille Chidyamatare, Richard Harding
This in-depth qualitative study is one of the very few studies of healthcare access beyond HIV for key populations in Africa. The study examines the experiences of key populations (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people, men who have sex with men (MSM) and sex workers) in Zimbabwe regarding access to, and experiences of, healthcare. Discrimination towards key populations discourages early diagnosis, limits access to healthcare and treatment, and increases risk of transmission of infectious diseases.
Why should you read this article?
- To learn about the experiences of LGBTI people and sex workers when accessing healthcare in Zimbabwe
- To recognise the barriers to accessing basic healthcare for LGBTI people, and how healthcare professionals’ personal attitudes affected care delivery
- To learn about the researchers’ recommendations for policy
The bereavement experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans* people who have lost a partner
Katherine Bristowe, Steve Marshall, Richard Harding
Loss of a partner is associated with universal experiences of grief, pain and struggling to continue with life alone, regardless of sexual identity or gender history. However, LGBT+ people face additional barriers and stressors in bereavement, including homophobia, failure to acknowledge their relationship, additional legal and financial issues and the ‘shadow’ of HIV or AIDS. This article identifies and appraises the evidence of the bereavement experiences of LGBT+ people who have lost a partner and develops an explanatory model of LGBT+ partner bereavement.
Why should you read this article?
- To understand the bereavement experiences of LGBT+ people who have lost a partner, and the additional barriers and stressors they face
- To learn about a proposed theoretical model to improve care for bereaved LGBT+ individuals
- To gain insight into the need of future research on this topic
In this story
Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing Education
Research Associate
Interim Exec Dean, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care at King's College London
Senior Lecturer in Midwifery Education
Herbert Dunhill Senior Lecturer
Honorary Senior Lecturer