“The child psychologist said she couldn’t help me because God assigned me a different gender at baptism”, “I know people who live double lives, are married and have children because they are afraid to express their sexual identity” - these are just some of the testimonies of LGBTQI+ people living in Cyprus from the report “Understanding the needs of LGBTQI+ people in accessing therapy and health services”, prepared as part of the Safe-R project by the Institute of Medical Research of the University of Nicosia.
Discrimination and stigma are an everyday reality, and harassment can happen anywhere: in the family, at school, at work, on the street and even in health care settings. It is no coincidence that 17% of the LGBTQI+ community avoid visiting a doctor, despite the fact that 50% of them have a disability or chronic illness.
Survey participants spoke about their experiences as members of the LGBTQI+ community during interviews.
A 32-year-old transgender man said that he could not get qualified help from a child psychologist. As a child, a psychologist told me, “Baptism is an act of divine gender assignment.” This incident, even at a young age, created barriers to accessing supportive care.
A transgender woman over 50 described how she was punished for expressing her identity: “When I started telling my parents that I was a little girl, they cut my hair like a boy and my high-heeled shoes disappeared from the house.”
“I know people who live double lives, married with children, because they are afraid to openly express their sexual identity,” said the 43-year-old lesbian.
“She kept saying that it would pass and that I would marry her cousin. It took her almost ten years to realize that this would never happen."
Another person mentioned that his family was especially strict with them. “They never said the word ‘love’ to me. I left home at 19 because I couldn’t take the blame anymore,” says one respondent.
“There's always a fear that someone might find out, especially when you live in a village or small town,” says the 60-year-old gay man. In such conditions, he emphasizes, coming out may seem impossible. “I came out very late, partly because nothing goes unnoticed in our community.”
“Even just walking around without attracting attention and judgment is still difficult,” says the 35-year-old genderfluid person.
The emerging health data regarding the LGBTQI+ community is alarming and extremely serious.
One in three (34%) survey participants reported having a disability, chronic illness, or illness that requires regular interaction with the health care system.
The most commonly reported problems were mental disorders (24%), HIV/AIDS (17%), heart disease (12%), muscular dystrophy (10%), motor or visual impairment (7%), and physical disability (7%). 26% reported having other chronic conditions.
Approximately one in three (36%) participants reported getting a health checkup once a year. 27% responded that they visit the doctor twice a year, and 13% visit more often. However, 14% do not even undergo an annual examination.
Half of those surveyed (50%) reported that they only go to the doctor when they feel unwell, and 27% said that they visit the doctor rarely or irregularly. “This is a dismal result given that 34% have a disability or chronic illness, meaning they are a group that typically requires long-term care,” the study highlights.
However, only a relatively small percentage reported regular visits. “This suggests that people with chronic health problems may have limited, inconsistent, and irregular interactions with the health care system,” the study said.
A portion of LGBTQI+ patients (17%) avoid visiting a doctor due to fear of negative behavior, and more than half (53%) do not seek medical or pharmaceutical services for financial reasons.
Specifically, 53% would not seek general medical or psychological care for financial reasons, and 40% indicated that they were not covered by either the public or private healthcare system of the Republic of Cyprus.
26% indicated lack of desire or need for help as a barrier to receiving care. 23% indicated a lack of trust in services, and 22% indicated that they did not know where to turn for help.
17% did not consult a doctor due to fear of encountering prejudice. 15% reported negative experiences with doctors, as well as complex bureaucratic procedures (10%). A smaller percentage of respondents said they avoid seeking medical care because of their gender identity (1%) or sexual orientation (5%). According to the study, these results highlight both systemic and social barriers that may prevent LGBTQI+ people from accessing health care. Financial instability and lack of public or private insurance coverage are the most significant barriers, affecting more than half of survey participants. Moreover, the data demonstrates high levels of mistrust and uncertainty about the health care system itself, with many people saying they do not know where to turn, do not trust the services provided, or are afraid of facing bias The fact that some people avoid seeking health care because of their sexual orientation and gender identity demonstrates the persistence of stigma and the need to create more inclusive and gender-respectful environments. Combined with reports of negative backgrounds and complex bureaucratic processes, it is clear that for many in the LGBTQI+ community, access to health care is not only a matter of accessibility, but also a matter of psychological safety. 43% of survey respondents said they attend psychotherapy sessions. Given that 24% of respondents reported having a mental disorder and 34% reported having a chronic illness or disability, it can be assumed that a significant proportion of people with potential mental health care needs are receiving therapy. People in therapy reported attending sessions once every month (27%), once a week (25%) and once every two weeks (25%), in all cases face-to-face. Psychologists and psychiatrists received the most positive ratings from survey participants. 80% said they received information and support from them. Personal doctors were also rated positively, with 78% of respondents saying the support they received was helpful. Other medical professionals were rated the lowest (51%), and it was found that 66% had not recently seen a specialist doctor. More than half (52%) do not know whether gender reassignment procedures such as hormone therapy or surgery are available in Cyprus. 34% responded that such services are available, while 13% believed that they do not. As noted in the survey, this high level of unawareness reflects the lack of available information about gender reassignment options in the country's health care system. Participants were divided on whether they had experienced discrimination because of their gender identity. to the LGBTQI+ community in the provision of medical services. 35% responded negatively, 34% responded positively, and 27% were undecided. Of those who responded positively, 31% attributed the discrimination to homophobia, transphobia or similar prejudices. 22% reported verbal discrimination. The vast majority experienced backlash because their behavior was considered “too feminine” or “too masculine” based on social stereotypes. 63% experienced backlash for being “feminine” and 39% for being “masculine.” A small proportion of LGBTQI+ patients (6%) said they had experienced some form of violence when accessing health care. 11% were unsure whether their experience could be considered violence, while the vast majority (81%) said they had not experienced violence.
“Many patients report microaggressions, offensive behavior, stereotyping or arbitrary conclusions based on heteronormative and binary models,” said Stephanos Evangelides, president of Accept LGBTQI+ Cyprus, adding that they systematically receive complaints. “The gynecologist refused to admit a transgender man. This is a clear example of this type of behavior,” he said, adding that discrimination undermines the quality of care provided and reduces trust and feelings of safety in the health care system. “Before conversion therapy was abolished, we received complaints about practitioners attempting to perform conversion therapy. Or complaints that doctors rejected, ignored or bullied them in the hospital,” he says. “Another example concerns endocrinologists, most of whom do not provide services to transgender people,” he stressed, adding that many representatives of the LGBTQI+ community Avoid seeing a doctor and delay seeking medical or psychological help. However, according to him, not all doctors are like that. “Many are interested and informed, or even offer their services voluntarily. But the attitude of doctors should be based not on their personal beliefs, but on their professional status. Respect for the patient should be a given,” he stressed. “17% said they would not seek medical or psychological help because of stigma, 15% avoided treatment because of negative experiences in the past, and 6% because of their sexual identity or gender expression. The study shows that transgender people face more complex and widespread problems,” said Mr Evangelides. He stressed that the first comprehensive study of its kind in Cyprus also shows gaps in education and training. This is why we, as Accept, emphasize the need for immediate institutional action and request that it be included in the National Strategy on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. To create a system that protects all people in safety and dignity while providing high-quality health care.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
