Stigmatization in Healthcare and Health Information Contexts: A Qualitative Secondary Analysis of Cisgender LGB Individuals’ Experiences

Background Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals continue to report stigmatizing experiences in healthcare. Less is known about how such experiences relate to health information seeking and use. Objective To examine how cisgender LGB individuals described stigmatizing experiences in healthcare and health information contexts. Methods This qualitative secondary analysis used semi-structured interviews from a broader study on health information behavior among sexual minority individuals in Germany and Switzerland. The sample included 24 cisgender participants identifying as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or pansexual. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis informed by stigma research. Results Participants described stigma at three interconnected levels. Structural stigma included guideline-based exclusions, gaps in research and health information, and heteronormative framings of health. Interpersonal stigma involved stereotyping, heteronormative assumptions, dismissive responses, and visible discomfort in healthcare encounters. Individual responses included vigilance, distrust, selective disclosure, forced outing, and avoidance of providers or settings perceived as unsafe. These experiences influenced trust, disclosure, and health information seeking. Conclusion Participants described stigma as embedded in healthcare structures, everyday interactions, and individual strategies for managing disclosure and avoiding harm. Efforts to improve LGB-inclusive healthcare should address health information, provider knowledge, communication practices, and administrative procedures.