Invisible Patients: Exploring Discrimination in Healthcare Practices for Sexual and Gender Minorities in Kathmandu Valley

Sexual and gender minority individuals face systemic discrimination and prejudice in various facets of their lives, including in healthcare practices. In this study, I explored the discrimination and obstacles in healthcare practices experienced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) people in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with seven participants selected through quota sampling, I found that the discrimination experienced by LGBTIQ+ individuals varied based on their specific sexual identities. Similarly, this study showed that transgender and intersex individuals reported more stigmatization, inadequate care, and systemic ignorance faced while taking medical needs than others. On the one hand, trans men reported discrimination, including mandatory HIV screening, that further perpetuated negative stereotypes. On the other hand, gay males and lesbian females perceived fewer barriers that they would have encountered in those situations. So, these results emphasize the imperative for immediate systemic change, which includes policy-level changes in universal health care, concept-based cultural competency education for health care professionals, and collaboration with advocacy groups in order to promote patient-centered care. For example, public awareness campaigns and statutory protections are also imperative in terms of tackling social stigma. Therefore, the current study has proposed fair and equal access to quality health care systems that are respectful, dignified, and accessible for all sexual and gender minority individuals.