Healthcare Seeking Behavior among Women Who Have Sex with Women in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania: A Public Health Lens

Abstract

Little is known about sexually minority women’s health and wellbeing in the developing countries like Tanzania. Hence, there is limited knowledge of these women’s health seeking behaviors and pathways they take to rectify their ill conditions. The study investigated on women who have sex with women’s health seeking behaviors and pathways they take to remedy ill conditions they face. Data presented in this paper are part of a cross-sectional descriptive and retrospective formative qualitative study among women who have sex with women conducted in Dar-es-Salaam region. Researchers used focus group discussion, in-depth interviewing, observation and collecting women’s life stories to generated data needed for this study. Women who have sex with women in Dar-es-Salaam come from all backgrounds and experience unique primary and specialized healthcare needs different from their counterparts. Social and legal strictures against homosexuality coupled with widespread heteronormativity put women who have sex with women at risk of overt or covert stigma and discrimination in the healthcare system. Illegal status of homosexuality in this country shapes differentiated health seeking behaviors and pathways among sexually minority women. Healthcare providers are reported discriminating and stigmatizing transgender men and tomboys forcing them to avoid vising public health facilities. I recommend the Ministry of health to initiate and support multidisciplinary, comprehensive and informative health research among women who have sex with women and use findings to facilitate improving women who have sex with women’s health and healthcare professionals’ ability to diagnose, treat, control, and prevent illnesses among this group.