Health inequity refers to differences in health status between populations ( health inequalities ) that are unnecessary and avoidable and, additionally, are considered unfair or unjust. The history of the concept is reviewed and the mechanisms by which inequity affects health surveyed, with a focus on multi - level models of health production. The origins and development of the Primary Health Care approach is then considered with an emphasis on the Australian setting and on HIV / AIDS policy. The construct of homosexuality is then explored and concepts of sexual attraction, ' orientation ', identity and behaviour differentiated. What is known about the health characteristics of homosexually active men in the First World is then surveyed by means of a systematic literature review. It is concluded that there is evidence that they are affected by substantial health inequality in a range of areas including mortality, suicidality, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, report of childhood sexual abuse and problematic substance use. Few of these inequalities have been confirmed in the Australian context, however, and almost none have been confirmed specifically in South Australia. The background to the development of a Primary Health Care programme focused on homosexually active men, is then described. The baseline health characteristics of the programme ' s cohort of 542 homosexually active South Australian men ( including their sexual behaviour in the context of HIV transmission ) are described and compared with other samples of men to identify inequalities. It is concluded that men in the cohort were subject to health inequality in a wide range of health parameters including mortality, suicidality, sexually transmitted infections, depressive and anxiety disorders, levels of substance use and self - rated health on the short - form 36 ( sf36 ) instrument. The relationships between these characteristics and factors indicative of disadvantage and victimisation are then explored. It is concluded that many of the health inequalities identified were related to sociohistorical factors such as emotional withdrawal by one ' s father, low income, unemployment, reduced educational attainment, and recent experience of violence and abuse from strangers. It is argued that some of these factors can be considered to be examples of unfairness and injustice and that, as a consequence, at least some of the health inequality experienced by this population is also health inequity. The elements of the Primary Health Care programme devised to meet the needs of homosexually active men is described and the trajectory of health characteristics of its participants over three time points is examined. 210 homosexually active men had reached Second Review, an average of thirty - six months after enrolment, by the time of analysis. Among this group, significant sustained improvement in a range of health outcomes, including prevalence of depressive disorders, sf36 scores and rate of recent suicidal ideation, is reported in association with involvement in the programme. Participant ' s subjective satisfaction with the programme is then described and their beliefs about the causes of their improved health explored using a qualitative methodology. It is concluded that the programme had largely met the needs of participants and they believed that it had been responsible for their improved health. Limitations of the study are considered and discussed. Limitations of the investigation to identify health inequality include questions of external validity arising from the absence of a perfect comparator group and concerns with construct validity related to the possibility of geographical and cultural variation in definitions of ' homosexually active men '. In the investigation to determine the extent to which health inequalities were also examples of inequity, issues of conclusion validity are discussed particularly in relation to multiple comparisons and the balance between Type I and Type II errors. In the evaluation of the impact of the Primary Health Care programme, there are concerns about internal validity resulting from the absence of randomisation and an uncontrolled design. The components of this issue are discussed and some support for internal validity is found in the reported subjective beliefs of participants about the cause of their health improvement and the outcomes of critical reflection by the programme team. The implications of the findings for policy, practice and further research are explored. It is argued that the health inequity experienced by people of sexual diversity will require profound social change for complete resolution. In the meantime, however, focused Primary Health Care with a community of sexual diversity has the potential to mitigate the health inequity its members experience and to help them to survive and function while they wait for a fairer and kinder society. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Population Health and Clinical Practice, 2005.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2015. / Introduction Access to effective health care is at the heart of the discourse on how to achieve the health related Millennium Development Goals. Lesbian and gay persons are affected by a range of social and structural factors in their environment, and as a result have unique health needs that might not be met by existing health care services. Sexual stigma remains a barrier to seeking appropriate health care. Lesbians and gays might delay seeking health care when needed or avoid it all together, because of past discrimination or perceived homophobia within the health care system. Aim of the study The aim of the study was explore and describe the accessibility of primary health care services to lesbians and gays in Umlazi in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Methodology A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study was conducted which was contextual in nature. Aday and Andersons’ theoretical framework of access was chosen to guide this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 lesbian and gay participants. The findings of this study were analysed using content analysis. Results Four major themes that emerged from the data analysis were discrimination of homosexual men and women by health care providers and community members in PHC facilities; attitudes of homosexual men and women towards health care providers; homophobic behaviour and equality of PHC services. Few participants were satisfied with the primary health care services they received. Intervention by the Department of Health, Department of Education, curriculum planners and Health Professionals Councils is recommended wherein homosexuality education should be addressed during pre-service and in-service education sessions so as to familiarise health care providers with such clients’ health care needs and to decreased homophobic attitudes.

South African institutions of higher learning remain unfriendly and hostile environments for queer students who reportedly continue to experience homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in these spaces. This qualitative enquiry explored the experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersexed (LGBTI) students in accessing healthcare in a contact higher education institution. The findings suggest that LGBTI issues are silenced within the university spaces and this blocks the availability of a targeted and strategic approach to deal with the healthcare issues of queer students. Furthermore, it was found that the healthcare services are heterocentric in nature, mainly targeting heterosexual students and deliberately excluding LGBTI students from accessing these services. In addition, the heteronormative attitudes held by healthcare professionals create added barriers for LGBTI students to access healthcare services. Religiously motivated stigma and discrimination prevented healthcare professionals from providing culturally appropriate healthcare services to LGBTI students, thereby excluding them from accessing these services. This research concludes that university management should take decisive action in supporting a human rights framework in order to protect the rights of LGBTI students. Sensitization training as well as the training curriculum of healthcare professionals should include aspects of sexual orientation and gender identity. / Health Studies / M.A.(Social Behaviour Studies in HIV-AIDS)

The purposes of this study were (1) to determine whether patients with AIDS are stigmatized by nursing faculty, (2) to determine whether practicing homosexuals are stigmatized by nursing faculty, (3) to determine whether faculty attitudes toward AIDS patients are influenced by the patients' sexual preference, and (4) to determine whether faculty attitudes toward practicing homosexual patients are influenced by the patients' disease. This study is a modified replication of studies by Kelly et al.