Social Work with People Practicing Same-Sex ... - ILGA Europe

� Handout materials — books, brochures, leaflets developed specifically for WSW
and containing information related to the health of this group present another
important tool for the distribution of knowledge.
� Unfortunately, an outreach work with WSW is not yet well developed in Ukraine,
while it is widely used in prevention programmes for MSM. Some experience
accumulated in the regions where they already perform outreach work in the
locations frequented by WSW demonstrates its usefulness and necessity.
� Regular meetings and sessions to promote healthy life styles and strengthen LB
community to respond to HIV and STI, to increase the self-consciousness of the
group and to overcome homophobia and discrimination are needed.
� There is a need to train doctors to work with WSW and to develop a system to
refer WSW to health specialists, such as gynaecologists, mammologists, and STI
physicians. In addition to the problem with safer sex, the work with WSW also
implies resolving other health problems that are common for predominantly
homosexual women — breast and cervical cancer, chronic gynaecological diseases,
alcohol and tobacco dependence, mental disorders (depressions and anxiety),
osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases in the older age.
Approaches to Prevention Work among WSW
HIV/STI prevention among women who have sex with women should be performed on
the basis of organizations or initiative groups possessing sufficient resources. The
basic components of prevention work among WSW include:
1. Access to the target group. An organization (or initiative group) should have a
well established contact with the local LB community, or its key representatives in
order to successfully reach WSW.
2. Access to the trained specialists. In order to implement sexual and prevention
education it is important to invite a specialist, who would be able to convey the
needed information to the audience. Such person should have knowledge in the
sphere of medicine and teaching skills. In order to create a trusty atmosphere, this
person should belong to the LB group.
3. Availability of the special literature. Brochures, booklets, leaflets summing up the
prevention information.
4. Availability of protection means. The sets of barrier protection means against HIV
and STI (condoms, latex sheets, latex gloves).
5. Development of the system to refer WSW to health specialists. An organization
that performs prevention work should provide WSW an opportunity to apply primary
prevention skills, i.e., to pass HIV and STI tests on a regular basis and go through
medical examination. For this purpose the organization should establish contacts
with laboratories and health rooms (gynaecological, STI), to which WSW could be
referred for examination.
6. Availability of trained outreach workers. Special workers should be trained to
distribute printed materials and protection means, and to inform WSW about the
examination and treatment opportunities by referral. These specialists would visit
locations frequented by WSW and perform peer education activities.
7. Implementation of the health groups. In addition to sexual education workshops
it is recommended to introduce the so-called health groups for WSW — the regular
meetings to discuss various aspects of woman's health, methods of overcoming
addictions, psychological issues and practical exercises in the comfortable setting.
For example, the joint leisure activities can be organized, such as sport games,
quiz parties, hiking, visits to a gym, etc. The groups should be conducted by one
moderator from the community, while experts can be invited to train on special
skills.
Introductions are tricky in a
lesbian relationship. It's a
word game. To my friends she's
my lover, to strangers and
family members in denial she's
my roommate, to Jehovah's
Witnesses at the door she's my
lesbian sex slave, and to my
mother she's Jewish and that's
all that matters.
Denise McCanles, an American
comedy actress and lesbian
activist
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