Health and sexual risk behavior of selected lesbians in a Southern Mindanao City

• Main Author: De Castro, Genevieve F.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2003
• Subjects: Health behavior; Sexual behavior; Lesbians > Identity; Coming out (Sexual orientation); Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3092; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/9930/viewcontent/CDTG003541_P__1_.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study determines the smoking and drinking patterns as well as the sexual practices of self-identified lesbians between the ages of 24-50 in a city of Southern Mindanao. It also seeks to identify their perceived health risks from the foregoing lifestyle activities and their health seeking behavior. Fifteen self-identified lesbians who smoked, consumed alcoholic beverages, and were sexually active with other women were interviewed by employing an interview guide that mainly consisted of open-ended questions. The findings showed that the key informants (KIs) are single, have had secondary and collegiate education, are Roman Catholics and have livelihood in the informal sector. The average age of the KIs is 35. The lesbians reported high consumption of tobacco (average duration, 18 years range 2-38 years) and alcohol (average duration, 19 years range 11-34 years). The majority tend to practice safer sex because in the past six months, they had only one sexual partner particularly their live-in partners. They also did not utilize sexual gadgets. The KIs experienced health problems that are related to smoking such as smoker's cough, shortness of breadth and chest discomfort and to intake of alcohol drinks such as nausea and headache (hangover) and stomach ulcers. The lesbians disclosed that they were never infected with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They knew that smoking and drinking have adverse effects on their health but they have not discontinued these habits. Their knowledge about the sources of STIs is associated with their safer sex practices. The lesbians' health-seeking behavior is curative and tend to utilize the formal or modern health system only for severe ailments. They tend to self-medicate, use home remedies and seek treatment from traditional healers. The composite index analysis compared the lifestyles of the different lesbians. The most risky KIs tend to be younger, have the longest smoking and drinking duration, consumed the most number of cigarettes and alcohol, have experienced more severe illnesses and have the most number of sexual partners in their lifetime.