(Becca Tapert, Unsplash)
This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Catarina Ribeiro Tassoni, a Brazilian medical student at Catholic University of Pelotas since 2017. She is affiliated to the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.
Our society is very unprepared to deal with everything that isn’t common. In medicine, that’s not very different. In the basics matters, we learn all that’s spectated anatomic and physiologically. Over the course of the time, we learn the variations and how the pathology is applicated. Nevertheless, scarcely we learn how to approach who is “different”.
All the structure of the patriarchal society reflects during the medical school, this way, passing the years, we haven’t learned to ask inclusive questions like “are you in a relationship?” other else: “do you have a boyfriend?”. In gynecologic appointment, it’s considered that if that woman is fertile and has a sexual life, the speculum examination is indispensable every year. Furthermore, it’s unknown how to guide about safe sex, unless involving contraceptive methods.
Brazil has a Public system called: Unique health system (SUS). There are some principles that guide this system, one of them it’s the “equity”, aims to recognize the differences of health and necessities of the patient and this way, deploy different approaches to different people. It’s a principal constantly violated when related to the lesbian gynecologic care. Along with the patriarchal, we have the heteronormative structure, and with it, the abuse of contraceptive prescriptions.
It’s important to know how to guide women about their sexual care, like nails and hands hygiene, likewise about the hygiene of sex toys. Furthermore, to show the importance of Pap smear and the gynecological care itself. There are some studies that show LGBT+ women can acquire sexual infections/diseases, like human papillomavirus (HPV). Therefore, it’s unacceptable that a woman who matches the criteria of screening in your respective country ceases doing a gynecological exam arising medical unpreparedness or through inadequate access to quality care because of their sexual orientation.
About the author
Catarina Ribeiro Tassoni is a Brazilian medical student. She studies medicine course at Catholic University of Pelotas since 2017. In the same year, she has become a member of Medical Education standing committee, Nacional Exchange committee and Professional Exchange committee at IFMSA Brazil UCPel. In 2019, she has become part of the Nacional Team of Nacional Exchanges. She wants to be a surgeon and change her reality regardless of the place she is.
Leave a Reply