Spread the Love

Name of the activity: Spread the Love

Country/NMO: India (MSAI)

Program: Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Education. Education on health issues for specific societal groups, either in the form of projects (set of tasks for a certain group over a fixed period of time), events (something notable that happens) or conferences (form meeting about ideas related to a particular topic, usually over several days).

General description:

On May 17th, we launched our daily webinars and social media posts with 7 social media posts and 3 webinars from 17th to 23rd May 2019. On 23rd May 23 launched our on-ground event for members to conduct. In the event, students teach other students about what it means to be LGBTQ+ including the different aspects of SOGIESC, the spectrums within SOGIESC, the root of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, discrimination in language, discrimination in healthcare and how to be a more inclusive health care provider. Events would also include short roles to test our knowledge of how to interact with an LGBTQ+ patient. Before and after the event, pre and post event form responses are collected to evaluate the impact of the event.

Focus area:

LGBTIQ+ issues

Problem statement:

We’d like to believe otherwise but even the healthcare system falls prey to the social prejudice that exists against members of the LGBTQ+ community, thus making it harder for them to access health care. Healthcare providers need a better understanding of LGBTQ+ patients and their distinct needs. The lack of awareness and discrimination that health care providers harbour is harmful to the LGBTQ+ community by manifesting as major barrier and cause for health disparity.

Target groups:

Medical students, Healthcare Students

Beneficiaries:

LGBTQIA+ community

Objectives and indicators of success:

Objectives:

– To raise awareness about the LGBTQ+ community, the discrimination they face, in healthcare and otherwise, among the general population through the use of our social media

– To do the same among healthcare students through a 3-part webinar series.

– Through on ground sensitisation events, to

a) explain to health students what it means to be LGBTQ+ including the different aspects of SOGIESC

b) address the root of the discrimination that exists

c) equip healthcare students with knowledge and understanding of barriers to access to healthcare for the LGBTQ+ community, the health disparities which they come across and with knowledge of how to be a more inclusive health care professional

Indicators:

General: Minimum 20 events + minimum 150 medical students reached

Specific Indicators:

Through our on-ground events:

More than 70% healthcare students know:

– the meaning of SOGIESC

– the discrimination experienced by the community, especially in language

– barriers to access to healthcare & the health disparities faced by the community

– how to interact with LGBTQ+ patients

– how to be inclusive health care providers

Methodology:

On May 17th, we launched our daily webinars and social media posts with 7 social media posts and 3 webinars from 17th to 23rd May 2019. On 23rd May 23 launched our on-ground event for members to conduct. In the event, students teach other students about what it means to be LGBTQ+ including the different aspects of SOGIESC, the spectrums within SOGIESC, the root of homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, discrimination in language, discrimination in healthcare and how to be a more inclusive health care provider. Events would also include short roles to test our knowledge of how to interact with an LGBTQ+ patient. Before and after the event, pre and post event form responses are collected to evaluate the impact of the event.

Plans for evaluation:

We plan to evaluate it with a quantitative evaluation of the responses of a pre and post event questionnaire that asks a variety of questions that assess the knowledge and attitude of health care students to the LGBTQ+ community. Apart from this, for self evaluation by the event organisers, we have pre and post event forms where they fill in their individual goals and objectives of the event, positive and negative aspects of the event, and other feedback for the National Team.