Suchergebnisse

Synergies between securing sexual rights and the right to health have been pursued where there are clear public health gains to be made, such as lowering incidence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI). South Africa?s 1996 Constitution outlawed discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and promoted the right to health. This qualitative health policy analysis sought to understand why and how interventions to improve sexual health of lesbian and bisexual women and address sexual violence were initially proposed in the HIV & AIDS and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa 2007?2011 and why and how these concerns were deprioritised in the National Strategic Plan (NSP) on HIV, STIs and TB 2012?2016. A conceptual framework considered several determinants of political priority for the inclusion in NSP development in 2007 and 2011 around sexual health concerns of women who have sex with women. This article presents findings from 25 in?depth key informant interviews and document review and highlights results of application of categories for a framework on determinants of political priority for lesbian and bisexual women?s issues to be included in South Africa?s NSP including: actor power, ideas, political context and issue characteristics. The article demonstrates how the epidemiological and structural drivers of lesbian and bisexual women?s vulnerability to HIV and STIs, including sexual violence and other violations of their sexual rights, have been expressed in policy forums and whether this has made an impact on lesbian and bisexual women?s ability to claim the right to health.

This paper centres on a neglected area of social work with older people—the social inclusion of older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults in long-term care environments. The translation of equality law into the delivery of adult care services is a challenging endeavour for organisations, even more so in the morally-contested terrain of sexual wellbeing. In this paper we report findings from a mixed method study into the provision of long-term care for older adults who identify as LGB. Herein we present findings from a survey of care workers and managers (n=121) and from focus groups with equality and LGB stakeholder representatives (n=20) in Wales. Focussing on the current knowledge and understanding of staff, we suggest that affirmative beliefs and practices with sexual minorities are evident amongst care workers and managers, however the inclusion of LGB residents needs to be advanced systemically at structural, cultural and individual levels of provision. There is a need for enhancing awareness of the legacy of enduring discrimination for older LGB people, for cultural acceptance in care environments of older people's sexual desires and relationships, and for a more explicit implementation of equality legislation. Social workers in adult care can advance this agenda.