Lesbians' Health-Related Experiences of Care and Noncare

In this feminist narrative study using in-depth interviews, focus groups, and a multistaged narrative analytic approach, a racially and economically diverse sample of 45 lesbians conveyed their health care experiences. Participants recounted a total of 332 health care interactions across a wide range of health care facilities, health care providers, and health conditions; 23% of these interactions they evaluated positively and 77%, negatively. In their stories, lesbians described the pivotal dimensions of face-to-face health care from their perspective as clients. Each of these interactional dimensions is defined by a fundamental experiential contrast gleaned from their descriptions of caring and noncaring clinical situations. They are as follows: existence: reflection versus facelessness; bodily integrity: intimate care versus intrusion; emotional integrity: sheltered versus shamed; worth: sustained versus abandoned; expression: voiced versus silenced; and power: solidarity versus dominance.