title: Sexual identity, identity disclosure, and health care experiences: is there evidence for differential homophobia in primary care practice?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Given extant health disparities among women who belong to the sexual minority, we must understand the ways in which access to and satisfaction with health care contribute to such disparities. The purpose of this study was to explore how sexual minority women's (SMW) health care experiences compared with those of their heterosexually identified counterparts. We also sought to investigate whether there were differences within SMW in this regard. Finally, we explored whether participant satisfaction and comfort with health care providers (HCPs) differed depending upon HCP knowledge of participants' sexual orientation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered surveys to 420 women including lesbian, gay, bisexual, or other "queer" identified women (n = 354) and heterosexually identified women (n = 66).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contrary to our expectations, we found that SMW were as likely to have had a recent health care appointment, to have been recommended and to have received similar diagnostic and preventive care, and to feel comfortable discussing their sexual health with their HCPs. They were, however, less likely to report being satisfied with their HCPs. We found no differences between lesbian SMW and non-lesbian SMW with respect to these indicators. We found important differences with respect to sexual orientation disclosure and health care satisfaction, however. Those participants whose HCPs purportedly knew of their minority sexual orientation reported greater satisfaction with their HCPs and greater comfort discussing their sexual health than those whose providers were presumably unaware.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We discuss important clinical and research implications of these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Electronic address: kemosack@uwm.edu.
authors.forename: Katie E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Mosack
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Petroll
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D020010:Heterosexuality / Q000523:psychology; D063509:Homophobia; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult