A qualitative exploration of gynaecological healthcare experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer people assigned female at birth.

BACKGROUND: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual/aromantic (LGBTQA+) people, assigned female at birth (AFAB), experience disproportionately poorer gynaecological healthcare outcomes compared to their cisgender, heterosexual peers. The barriers to gynaecological care remain poorly understood. In a step toward bridging this gap, the current study explored the lived gynaecological healthcare experiences of Australian LGBTQA+ AFAB people and the barriers they experience in accessing care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 LGBTQA+ AFAB people. An inductive thematic qualitative design was used to explore the lived experiences and identify themes associated with the reported experiences. RESULTS: Thematic analysis identified seven themes related to experiences in accessing gynaecological healthcare, including discrimination, fear, perceived provider or cultural incompetency, accessibility, and gender identity. Several sub-themes were also identified such as refusal of care, microaggression, misgendering, and patient as educator. CONCLUSIONS: Participants suggested that barriers to care could be alleviated by the integration of LGBTQA+ specific healthcare training into the university-level medical curriculum and professional development programs that address cultural competency and inclusive healthcare. These preliminary findings inform the necessity for the development of evidence-based practice guidelines that specifically address the unique and diverse needs of the LGBTQA+ AFAB population.

Efficacy of Topical Antimicrobial Agents Against Bacterial Isolates From Burn Wounds.

Topically applied antimicrobials are key to the prevention of infection and mortality in the acute burn population. The purpose of this study was to determine the in vitro effectiveness of commercially available topical antimicrobials, as well as topical preparations that were compounded in our burn care institution. One-hundred twenty microorganisms were tested against these topical antimicrobials and in vitro effectiveness was observed. Results showed that compounded preparations of 1:1:1 + Double Antibiotic (1 part bacitracin: 1 part silver sulfadiazine: 100,000 units/g nystatin + 5 mg/g neomycin sulfate + 500 units/g polymyxin B) and 3:1 + Double Antibiotic (3 part bacitracin: 1 part silver sulfadiazine + 5mg/g neomycin sulfate + 500 units/g polymyxin B) were effective against 100% of the isolates tested. Other topical agents showed moderate effectiveness, thus demonstrating the need for multiple topical agents to reach a broad spectrum of microorganisms. However, the development of topical antimicrobial resistance needs further study.

Made wrong, excluded, and ignored: Introduction to a special issue on lesbians and the law.

For some time now, the specific experiences that lesbians have with the law have been considerably overlooked. This is because there is a focus on how gay males have contact with the law, as gay males are the group whose same-sex intimacies are most often criminalized in legislative frameworks. It is rare for the same-sex intimacies of lesbians to be targeted explicitly in legislative frameworks. This special issue therefore focuses on how lesbians have contact with the law. It features articles focused on what the guest editors conceptualize as how lesbians are being made wrong, being excluded, and being ignored by the law, and each of these are outlined in further detail in this introduction. The articles highlight the relational nexus between lesbians and different frameworks, processes, rules, policies, institutions and applications of law, and the far-reaching impacts this nexus produces in the lives of lesbians around the world.