Addressing Discrimination and Healthcare Disparities for Sexual and Gender Minorities in South Africa: A Human Rights-Based Perspective

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations—including, but not limited to, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and/or asexual—have been, under different contexts, historically discriminated against in housing, healthcare and social security, not to mention the daily acts of macro- and micro-aggressions they often face. Discriminatory practices against SGM individuals, who might be already experiencing positions of rightlessness and vulnerability, further increase health inequities and might have larger implications for the protection of human rights and the reproduction of social injustice. In the African continent more specifically, many countries have a poor record when it comes to protecting and enforcing LGBT rights. In South Africa, on the other hand, despite relatively strong legislation on the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, violence and discrimination against SGM individuals still is a huge challenge. On that account, this research article aims to describe and analyse discriminatory practices in healthcare affecting SGMs in South Africa in relation to access to and quality of care, alongside the implications for health management and human rights in particular. This is an exploratory research article that addresses the situation of healthcare access and delivery to SGM populations in South Africa from a human rights-based and intersectional approach. The study challenges ongoing bias-motivated and discriminatory practices in healthcare settings and pinpoints how these practices can negatively affect the health and well-being of diverse populations, with a focus on sexual and gender diversity.