Lesbian parents negotiating the health care system in Australia.
Twenty Australian lesbian-parented families were interviewed in multigenerational family groups about the interface between their public and private worlds. Experiences of the health care bureaucracy were difficult, whereas many participants found individual providers to be approachable and caring. Three strategies were used for disclosure of their sexual orientation to health care providers: private, proud, and passive. Influences on the strategy used included family formation, role of the non-birth parent, geographic location, and expected continuity of care. Parents displayed a high degree of thoughtful planning in utilizing their preferred disclosure strategy in order to optimize safety, particularly for their children.
McNair
Ruth
R
Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. rmcnair@unimelb.edu.au
Brown
Rhonda
R
Perlesz
Amaryll
A
Lindsay
Jo
J
De Vaus
David
D
Pitts
Marian
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017008:Negotiating; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology