What about the men? Gender parity in occupational therapy: Qu'en est-il des hommes? La parité hommes-femmes en ergothérapie.

BACKGROUND: Gender parity is frequently raised as an equity issue in occupational therapy, with strategies proposed to recruit more men. PURPOSE: This article explores whether this is a legitimate equity concern. KEY ISSUES: Most employment is gender segregated; when gender balances change, the field either re-genders feminine or creates gender-segregated internal divisions. Men avoid feminized jobs because they pay less and hold less social status. They are a "step down" for men. In such jobs, men are disproportionately pushed into management positions, with better pay, more prestige, and less hands-on care. Equity issues concern structural barriers to success in particular employment fields. Though they may feel discomfort in a feminized field, men do not face structural barriers in occupational therapy. IMPLICATIONS: Broader challenges to traditional gender norms are needed, but there is no evidence that gender parity is an equity concern or that recruitment targeting masculinity would make a difference.

Being (in)visible in the clinic: A qualitative study of queer, lesbian, and bisexual women's health care experiences in Eastern Canada.

In this article, we examine the ways in which 18 queer, lesbian, and bisexual (QLB) women in Eastern Canada negotiated their visibility in interactions with primary care providers. QLB women patients used a number of strategies to determine risk and to be visible or invisible to their health care providers. We describe participants' disclosure decisions and strategies, and we argue that being visible and invisible requires work on the part of QLB patients in the context of institutionalized heteronormativity. Conceptualizing (in)visibility as work is required in efforts to account for and improve health care interactions across differences.

Family physician perceptions of working with LGBTQ patients: physician training needs.

BACKGROUND: Medical students and physicians report feeling under-prepared for working with patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ). Understanding physician perceptions of this area of practice may aid in developing improved education. METHOD: In-depth interviews with 24 general practice physicians in Halifax and Vancouver, Canada, were used to explore whether, when and how the gender identity and sexual orientation of LGBTQ women were relevant to good care. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted using ATLAS.ti data analysis software. RESULTS: Three major themes emerged: 1) Some physicians perceived that sexual/gender identity makes little or no difference; treating every patient as an individual while avoiding labels optimises care for everyone. 2) Some physicians perceived sexual/gender identity matters primarily for the provision of holistic care, and in order to address the effects of discrimination. 3) Some physicians perceived that sexual/gender identity both matters and does not matter, as they strove to balance the implications of social group membership with recognition of individual differences. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians may be ignoring important aspects of social group memberships that affect health and health care. The authors hold that individual and socio-cultural differences are both important to the provision of quality health care. Distinct from stereotypes, generalisations about social group differences can provide valuable starting points, raising useful lines of inquiry. Emphasizing this distinction in medical education may help change physician approaches to the care of LGBTQ women.

Nurses' work with LGBTQ patients: "they're just like everybody else, so what's the difference"?

Informed by critical feminist and queer studies approaches, this article explores nurses' perceptions of practice with patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ). Qualitative in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 12 nurses in Halifax, Nova Scotia, illuminate a range of approaches to practice. Most commonly, participants argued that differences such as sexual orientation and gender identity do not matter: Everyone should be treated as a unique individual. Participants seemed anxious to avoid discriminating or stereotyping by avoiding making any assumptions. They were concerned not to offend patients through their language or actions. When social difference was taken into account, the focus was often restricted to sexual health, though some participants showed complex understandings of oppression and marginalization. Distinguishing between generalizations and stereotypes may assist nurses in their efforts to recognize social differences without harming LGBTQ patients.