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)

Text in English with abstracts in English and isiZulu / This qualitative study set out to discover the lived experiences of South African transgender individuals within the liminal space of having been confirmed for gender affirming surgery, yet who have not completed their surgery. The aim included seeking out how participants’ wellbeing was affected by being within this liminal space. Six participants were recruited in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. Thematic analysis was used to derive themes from the transcripts. Themes included coming out; relationships; wellbeing; misgendering/misnaming; support; public and private medical care; and liminality. Recommendations for future studies are included, and recommendations on interventions and support are discussed. / Lolu cwaningo lohlobo lwekhethelo lenzelwe ukuthola noma ukubheka izinselelo zabantu abafuna ukushintsha ubulili babo baseNingizimu Afrika ababhekana nazo uma basohlelweni lokuyohlinzwa ngoDokotela ukuze bakhone ukushintsha ubulili babo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukubheka ngqo kubantu abayihambile lena ndima ukuthi bahlukumezeka kanjani ngesikhathi basohlelweni lokuthi bashintshe ubulili babo. Abantu abayisithupha abazibandakanye nalolu cwaningo batholakale eGoli, ePitoli kanye naseKapa. Kusetshenziswe ucwaningo olubheka indikimba ukuze kutholwe izihloko ezivele embalweni osuselwe enkulumeni eqoshiweyo. Izihloko ezivelayo yilezi, ubudlelwano; impilo; ukubizwa ngobulili ongasibona/ukubizwa ngegama okungasilona elakho; ukwesekwa; usizo lwezibhedlela zikahulumeni nezibhedlela ezizimele; kanye nokuba sesimeni sokushintsha ubulili. Izincomo zocwaningo oluzayo zifakiwe nazo, kuphindwe kwakhulunywa noma kwabhekwa ukuthi kungangenelelwa kanjani ngosizo. / M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / Psychology