Hu Hsin Fang
Kaohsiung Municipal Da-Tung Hospital, Taiwan
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J HIV Retrovirus
Homosexuals exhibit no marked differences from heterosexuals in physiological structure and appearance, but attention should be given to their health needs. Not only should physiological factors be considered when assessing health, but also social and cultural factors and the person’s natural and social environments, which have major effects on health. A patient with homosexual tendencies who engaged in high-risk sexual behavior was examined. He fell into depression after developing recurrent sexually transmitted diseases and anxiety because of worries on the resulting stigma if his diseases were made known. We provided crossdisciplinary medical care services to let him understand the correlation between high-risk sexual behavior and recurrent sexually transmitted infections and provided accurate and safe-sex knowledge of homosexual activities. Group discussions were conducted to enable him to understand human immunodeficiency virus infection and response strategies for overcoming depression. Medical staff should not provide differential or discriminatory medical care because of differences in sexual orientation and instead provide appropriate medical intervention regardless of sexual orientation. They should develop an attitude of no fear, discrimination and exclusion, and carefully use gender-sensitive terms. They should provide a space for independent consultation for patients to have a sense of security.
Hu Hsin Fang is specialized in Gender Study from Kaohsiung Medical University College of Humanities and Social Science. He is currently working as a Nurse Practitioner of Colorectal Surgery in Kaohsiung Municipal Da-Tung Hospital.
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