Browsing by Author "Cashen, Daniel Steven"

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    Disclosure of Sexual Orientation in Primary Health Care: Gay Men's Stories of Coming Out
    (2018-09-20) Cashen, Daniel Steven; Estefan, Andrew; Venturato, Lorraine; Dela Cruz, Añiela Marie; Ginn, Carla S.; Then, Karen L.
    Access to primary health care is important for maintenance of health and well-being and the timely treatment of illness. Primary health carers address many dimensions of people’s health and social welfare. The literature suggests that experiences of primary health care might be problematic for gay men. For many reasons, it can be difficult for gay men to discuss their sexual orientation with primary providers. The health literature offers little guidance about how gay men experience primary health care. The health care literature about gay men is dominated by studies about the transfer and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and there is little exploration of patient-practitioner relationships in the context of primary health care. This study is a narrative inquiry into three gay men’s experiences of “coming out,” or disclosure of their sexual orientation in primary health care. Three narrative accounts form the basis for the development and discussion of three narrative threads: Disclosure and Connections, Opportunities Taken and Lost, and Making Maps for Connections. Recommendations for nursing practice, research, and policy development are made.