The LGBT+ Individual Perspective of Aging in Brazilian Society

Dullius, Willian Roger; O’Keefe-McCarthy, Sheila; McCleary, Lynn; Scortegagna, Silvana Alba

doi:10.1590/0102.3772e40402.en

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Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa

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Sumário

Clinical Psychology and Culture • Psic.: Teor. e Pesq. 40 • 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0102.3772e40402.en copy

The LGBT+ Individual Perspective of Aging in Brazilian Society

A Perspectiva do Indivíduo LGBT+ sobre o Envelhecimento na Sociedade Brasileira

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

This study describes the perceptions of aging and the health care received by 101 LGBT+ individuals in Brazil (São Paulo, Mato Grosso, and Rio Grande do Sul). Participants completed an online 13-item demographic and LGBT+ perception questionnaire. The age ranged from 18 to 55 years, 75.5% were Caucasian, 92% self-identified as cisgender and 55% were homosexual. Most did not stop seeking healthcare (59.8%) because of fear, but they avoided revealing their sexuality to health professionals (65.7%). Participants had negative views about aging and regarded the health system as caustic, and health professionals exhibited unethical behaviors and gaps of knowledge related to LGBT+ practice. Continuing education about the LGBT+ community should be prioritized to mediate discriminatory healthcare.

Keywords:
sexual and gender minorities; health personnel; health equity; aging

Variable	n	%	Variable	n	%
Gender identity			Ethnicity
Cisgender	93	92.1	Caucasian	76	75.5
Non-binary	7	6.9%	Brown	19	18.6
Transgender	1	1	Black	5	4.9
			Indigenous	1	1
Age
18 to 25 years old	60	58.8	Sexual orientation
26 to 35 years old	28	28.4	Homossexual	56	55.4
36 to 45 years old	11	10.8	Bisexual	33	32.7
46 to 55 years old	2	2	Pansexual	7	6.9
			Others	5	5
Level of education
Undergraduate	64	63.4	Religion
High school	19	18.8	Atheist	27	28.1
Master degree	8	7.9	Catholic	25	26
College degree	5	5	Spiritist	16	16.7
Others	5	4.9	Lutheran	10	10.4
			Others	18	18.8
State of residence
Rio grande do sul	74	73.3
São Paulo	18	17.8
Mato Grosso	9	8.9
Have you ever stopped seeking health care services because of fear/rejection of the behavior of health professionals?			Have you ever been embarrassed during a healthcare professional's care?
No	60	59.8	No	67	65.7
Yes	41	40.2	Yes	35	34.4
Have you ever experienced lgbtphobia in the environment of a healthcare institution?			Have you ever experienced lgbtphobia by a health care professional?
No	85	84.2	No	83	82.2
Yes	16	15.8	Yes	18	17.8
Have you ever failed to disclose your sexual and gender orientation to a healthcare provider because you were afraid of how the provider would react?
Yes	67	65.7
No	34	34.3

Question	Theme	Participant Quotes
How do you imagine your aging and the assistance provided by health professionals?	LGBT+ person	“I can’t imagine, I believe I will live no more than 45 years old - Não imagino, acredito que não passo dos 45”. I can’t imagine it…., that’s sad, I don’t know if someday I will have courage to search for health assistance related to my sexuality - Simplesmente não consigo imaginar…., o que é triste, não sei se algum dia terei coragem de buscar ajuda médica em caso de situações que envolvam a sexualidade.” “I see it [aging] as a suffering because health assistance to the lgbtqi+ person is unconfortable because of the way the health professionals are not confidential when talking about us and ended up embarrassing us - Vejo como sofrimento pois assistência devida a pessoa lgbtqi+ é de forma desconfortável pois muitos profissionais escancaram sem ver a proteção de sigilo e acabam nos envergonhando”
	Health Professional	“I see that the health professionals are not learning to provide care to this population - Vejo que os profissionais de saúde não estão sendo formados para atender essa população” I hope it [health care] will be better, and the health professionals don’t bring with them their beliefs and prejudices - espero que se seja melhor, e que os profissionais não tragam paea a profissão suas crenças e precpnceitos” “As a woman, I have always suffered retaliation regarding my body and my health, this will only get worse when we deny terminologies and science. Menstruation, pregnancy, contraceptives have always been issues that even health professionals sometimes treat with contempt, prejudice, because it is about women's sexuality, which has always been rejected. - Como mulher, sempre sofri retaliação quanto a meu corpo e minha materialidade na saúde, isso so vai piorar quando negamos nomenclaturas e a ciência. Menstruação, gestação, contraceptivos sempre foram questões que mesmo profissionais da saúde algumas vezes tratam com desprezo, preconceito, pois se trata da sexualidade da mulher, que sempre foi rechaçada.”
	Health System	“Public Health System (SUS) should establish health care manuals for the LGBTQI+ public in all áreas of health care - Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) deveria estabelecer manuais de assistência em saúde para o público LGBTQI+ em todos os ambitos como obrigatoriedade.” “If I belong to the upper class, I will receive more adequate care, if I need the public health system, I will not receive adequate assistance - Se eu pertencer a classe alta vou receber atendimento mais adequado, se eu precisar do sistema único de saúde, não receberei assistência de forma adequada”

Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de Brasília Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 - Brasília - DF - Brazil, Tel./Fax: (061) 274-6455 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: revistaptp@gmail.com

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[1] Corresponding author
Willian Roger Dullius Email: rogerdullius@gmail.com