Sexual invisibility in individual registrations: a study with Community Health Agents

Abstract

The debate on gender and sexuality is crucial in Primary Health Care (PHC), given its influence on the health-disease process. Its initial approach occurs in the Individual Registration Form, a tool used by Community Health Agents (CHAs), through optional questions about the resident's gender identity (GI) and sexual orientation (SO). In this sense, the present study aims to investigate the factors related to the act of questioning or not questioning GI and SO in a sample of CHAs. It is a cross-sectional, quantitative, and descriptive study, using a structured questionnaire directed to CHAs affiliated with Family Health Units of the Integrated Health Care Territories project in the city of Campo Grande/MS. With 118 participants, 22.9% could not indicate their GI, and 80.5% rarely inquire about GI and SO. The majority (72.8% and 61%) has limited knowledge about GI and SO. The analysis revealed a positive association between the frequent discussion of the topic with CHAs and the frequent questioning of GI and SO (OR=6.45; 95% CI: 1.33-31.21), p<0.05. Therefore, the results highlight the importance of ongoing health education to promote equity in the care of LGBTQIAP+ individuals within the scope of PHC.