ArticleBMJ global health2017
'They will be afraid to touch you': LGBTI people and sex workers' experiences of accessing healthcare in Zimbabwe-an in-depth qualitative study.
Article in BMJ global health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers.
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Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Concerns, Health Profiles, and Quality of Life of LGBTQIA+ Individuals in Maharashtra: A Mixed-Methods Study.Cureus · 2026Article
- A qualitative study of the ecology of stigma experiences - An application of the ecological model to stigma experiences of trans-women from Ghana. BSGH019.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- "They look you up and down like you are nothing": A qualitative exploration of sex workers' health needs and interactions with UK healthcare services.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2025Article
- Stigma in differences of sex development: a scoping review.Journal of pediatric psychology · 2025Article
- A Scoping Review of Heteronormativity in Healthcare and Its Implications on the Health and Well-Being of LGBTIQ+ Persons in Africa.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Review
- Capturing the HIV-related social exclusion practices experienced by key populations through photovoice: an interpretative phenomenological study.Reproductive health · 2024Article
- Risk factors to mental health challenges among the LGBTI+ community in Gaborone, Botswana.Curationis · 2024Article
- The effects of social networks on HIV risk behaviors among Vietnamese female sex workers: a qualitative study.Global health research and policy · 2024Article
- Project Respect: experiences of seriously ill LGBTQ+ patients and partners with their health care providers.Health affairs scholar · 2023Article
- Communication about sexual orientation and gender between clinicians, LGBT+ people facing serious illness and their significant others: a qualitative interview study of experiences, preferences and recommendations.BMJ quality & safety · 2023Article
- Article
- History of Sex Work Is Associated with Increased Risk of Adverse Mental Health and Substance Use Outcomes in Transgender Adults.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Community-led monitoring: a voice for key populations in Zimbabwe.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2022Article
- A scoping review of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use treatment interventions for sexual and gender minority populations.Journal of substance abuse treatment · 2022Article
- Engagement in the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) cascade among a respondent-driven sample of sexually active men who have sex with men and transgender women during early PrEP implementation in Zimbabwe.Journal of the International AIDS Society · 2022Article
- The experiences of sex workers accessing HIV care services in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.African health sciences · 2021Article
- The lived experiences of men who have sex with men when accessing HIV care services in Zimbabwe.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2021Article
- Health of transgender men in low-income and middle-income countries: a scoping review.BMJ global health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo examine 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.
designQualitative study using in-depth interviews and focus groups, with thematic analysis.
participantsSixty individuals from key populations in Zimbabwe.
settingParticipants were recruited from four locations (Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Beitbridge/Masvingo).
resultsParticipants described considerable unmet needs and barriers to accessing basic healthcare due to discrimination regarding key population status, exacerbated by the sociopolitical/legal environment. Three main themes emerged: (1) key populations' illnesses were caused by their behaviour; (2) equal access to healthcare is conditional on key populations conforming to 'sexual norms' and (3) perceptions that healthcare workers were ill-informed about key populations, and that professionals' personal attitudes affected care delivery. Participants felt unable to discuss their key population status with healthcare workers. Their healthcare needs were expected to be met almost entirely by their own communities.
conclusionsThis is one of very few studies of healthcare access beyond HIV for key populations in Africa. Discrimination towards key populations discourages early diagnosis, limits access to healthcare/treatment and increases risk of transmission of infectious diseases. Key populations experience unnecessary suffering from untreated conditions, exclusion from healthcare and extreme psychological distress. Education is needed to reduce stigma and enhance sensitive clinical interviewing skills. Clinical and public health implications of discrimination in healthcare must be addressed through evidence-based interventions for professionals, particularly in contexts with sociopolitical/legal barriers to equality.
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Registered trials
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