Advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of sexual and gender minorities in Gert Sibande district, Mpumalanga: a rapid ethographic assessment

Abstract

The study reported on in this document builds on research conducted in the second year of the AIDS Foundation of South Africa (AFSA) three-year programme (2014-2017), Making Sexual and Reproductive Rights Real. The programme is intended to strengthen SRHR and community-based HIV/AIDS interventions, and to build the evidence base for effective regional responses. In line with recommendations for further research from earlier studies forming part of the AFSA three-year programme, (see Morison, Moolman & Reddy, 2015; Morison & Lynch, 2016a), this study examined (a) healthcare workers' perceptions and treatment of sexual and gender minorities; (b) the perceptions and experiences of LGBTI persons around accessing quality SRH services; (c) the range of LGBTI-specific SRH services required as part of quality SRHR; and (d) effective practices and lessons from organisations and public-private partnerships towards addressing LGBTI SRHR. The current study approached these research priorities with a deepened focus on a rural National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot area in the province of Mpumalanga, South Africa.