Lesbian, gay and bisexual parents' experiences of nurses' attitudes in child health careA qualitative study

Aims and objectivesTo describe lesbian, gay and bisexual parents' experiences of nurses attitudes in child healthcare. BackgroundLesbian, gay and bisexual people are often reluctant to disclose their gender identity for fear of discrimination. This fear may lead to avoidance of healthcare for themselves or their children and may negatively affect families' health and well-being. DesignA qualitative inductive design was employed. MethodsSemistructured interviews were conducted with 14 lesbian, gay or bisexual parents (11 mothers and three fathers) with child health care experiences in southern Sweden. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. ResultsTwo themes were identified. One, a sense of marginalisation, included lesbian, gay and bisexual parents' experiences of heteronormative attitudes among child healthcare nurses which led them to feel alienated and questioned as parents. Another, being respected for who you are, included experiences of being respected and included at child healthcare appointments. ConclusionsFindings paint a complex picture of lesbian, gay and bisexual parents' interactions with child healthcare nurses in that they experienced both positive and negative attitudes. Knowledge gaps about lesbian, gay and bisexual families within the child healthcare field must be filled. Relevance to clinical practiceChild health care nurses should work with the entire family to provide the best care for the child; however, discrimination in health care is common and often caused by a lack of knowledge. The number of children living with same-sex parents has increased more than ten-fold since the end of the 1990s. It is therefore important to explore lesbian, gay and bisexual parents' experiences with child healthcare nurses' attitudes to improve quality of care.