title: Under what conditions do lesbians disclose their sexual orientation to primary healthcare providers? A review of the literature.
abstract: Under what conditions do lesbians disclose their sexual orientation to primary healthcare providers? A review of the literature was undertaken to answer this question and to provide insight into the ways healthcare professionals can play an active role assisting their lesbian patients in "coming out." Thirty empirical studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Collectively, these separate studies have found that a myriad of internal (patient attributes) and external (healthcare context, patient-provider relationship) factors influence disclosure. The discussion highlights the critical role of healthcare professionals in supporting disclosure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Chrysler Hall South, Room 173, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, N9B 3P4. stpier4@uwindsor.ca
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: St Pierre
mesh_terms: D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012650:Self Disclosure