Disclosure for same-sex-attracted women enhancing the quality of the patient-doctor relationship in general practice

Abstract

Background Same-sex-attracted women describe lower satisfaction with their general practice care, compared with heterosexual women. Yet, they have greater health inequalities, which requires effective care. A lack of disclosure of sexual orientation to general practitioners (GPs) may be one factor influencing these issues. Methods This study on the disclosure of sexual orientation by samesex attracted women to their usual GP explored the impact of disclosure on the quality of the patient-doctor relationship. In-depth interviews with 33 same-sex-attracted women and 27 GPs in Australia were conducted during 2005-06. These interviews were analysed to understand the perspectives of the women and..