“We’re not for You”: Primary Care Support Seeking Among LGBTIQA + Individuals Experiencing Intimate-Partner Violence in Western Australia

Abstract Purpose Experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) among LGBTIQA + individuals often differ from that of non-LGBTIQA + individuals. However, general understandings of IPV tend to reflect the experiences of cisgender heterosexual women. Consequently, LGBTIQA + individuals may encounter barriers to receiving support for IPV from primary care services that are predominantly guided by a heteronormative and cisgendered conceptualization of IPV. This research explored support seeking experiences of LGBTIQA + individuals experiencing IPV. Method Individual and group semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 LGBTIQA + individuals who had experienced IPV. Participants were aged 20–68 and living in Western Australia. Data were thematically analyzed. Results Three themes emerged that together captured primary care service experiences, barriers, and needs when seeking support for IPV: ‘Recognizing and seeking support, ‘harmful service experiences’, and ‘building and promoting service inclusivity’. Conclusions LGBTIQA + individuals experience barriers to seeking and receiving support for IPV due to exclusionary, cisgendered and heteronormative primary care support systems. Addressing these systemic factors is critical to improving the responsiveness of primary care services for LGBTIQA + individuals seeking support for IPV. Active integration of inclusivity and support for LGBTIQA + individuals within primary care services and proactively engaging with LGBTIQA + populations to raise awareness of available support options are recommended.