On October 4, a 19-year-old gay woman went to the doctor because of a menstrual condition. Her mother accompanied her to the Reina Sofia hospital in the Spanish city of Murcia, but the appointment left them in complete and utter shock.
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Inappropriate diagnosis
According to the mother, who spoke with local media, the doctor asked them if they could include the young adult's sexual orientation on the report. They accepted the request under the assumption that it was relevant to the medical issue. However, after the examination was finished, they received a medical report that mentioned, ‘current illness: homosexuality.’
In disbelief and anger, they went to Galactyco, a local LGBT collective, to take action against the authorities. Now the organisation is actively reaching out to the Ministry of Health, the Regional Government of Murcia, and the Murcian Health System for a formal apology.
Training healthcare staff
The collective also highlighted that this was not the first time a member of the LGBT+ community was treated in this manner. They wrote in a release on their website that the United Nations officially removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses back in 1990. Despite that, medical professionals in Murcia continue to follow practices that stigmatise those who are not heterosexual.
Hence, they’re urging authorities to properly train and educate healthcare professionals so that these medical institutions can be a more inclusive place. They wrote:
We have sent separate letters to the Ministry and the SMS demanding immediate rectification and apologies to the patient, as well as the application of the aforementioned Law, which in health matters, commits the Government of Murcia to guarantee respectful treatment towards LGTBI people and that health professionals have adequate training and information on homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexuality and intersexuality.
