Hong Kong doctors get lessons in how to be more welcoming to gay patients
Aids concern group offers training after survey reveals a fifth of homosexual men avoid seeing a GP
An Aids concern group has launched a training scheme to help doctors be more friendly to gay patients after a survey found more than a fifth of homosexuals shunned medical services.
In an online survey by NGO Aids Concern from January to February, 20.3 per cent of 138 gay men questioned said they would not see a doctor for fear of revealing their sexual orientation.
Some 55 per cent said they concealed their orientation when seeing doctors about sexual health issues.
Most of them felt embarrassed and were worried about discrimination or stigma if their sexual orientation was disclosed. Around 9 per cent said they had experienced discrimination by health care staff after telling doctors they were gay.
“David” recalled his unpleasant experience when seeing a doctor two years ago with flu. He said the general practitioner did not give him a thorough check-up after he told him he was gay.
“He didn’t check my chest with a stethoscope throughout the whole consultation,” said David, who is in his 20s.