Opening the Closet Door on Reproductive Cancer Care for Sexual Minority Women: Interactions with Health Providers

The aim of this critical feminist study was to illuminate aspects of interactions between sexual minority women with reproductive cancers and their health care providers (HCPs) that may perpetuate or challenge barriers to receiving equitable care. For this qualitative inquiry, one-on-one interviews were conducted with six reproductive cancer survivors who self-identified as lesbian or bisexual women, four of whom were also health or service providers, and one Registered Nurse who was not also a cancer survivor (n=7). Four themes emerged from these interviews: the reproductive cancer journey, the meaning of family, interactions with HCPs, and environmental barriers. The participants outlined areas they felt were most important to their cancer care and interactions with HCPs, as well as some of the barriers they encountered. Aspects related to gender, sexuality, reproduction, and their intersections were pervasive throughout the findings and shaped the meaning of reproductive cancers for sexual minority women