We are treated differently: Experiences of men who have sex with men in South African clinics

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are regarded as a key population that needs specialised healthcare services to address their healthcare needs. This is because of their sexual practices. Men who have sex with men encounter positive and negative experiences when accessing healthcare services in public health care facilities. This study explored and described the experiences of MSM about accessing healthcare services in public healthcare facilities. The study was conducted in Ekurhuleni district, situated in the East of Gauteng province, South Africa. Methods: A descriptive, explorative, qualitative approach was employed to investigate the experiences of MSM about accessing healthcare services. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 MSM aged 18 years and above. Results: Overall, MSM had both negative and positive experiences when accessing healthcare services. However, mainly the negative in the public healthcare facilities, whereas positive were experienced in the private healthcare facilities. Conclusion: The negative experiences of MSM, the judgemental and discriminatory attitudes of healthcare workers towards them and the scarcity or unavailability of resources and healthcare services to address their specific healthcare needs in healthcare facilities have created interpersonal and structural barriers, which prevent MSM from accessing healthcare services. Contribution: These findings suggest the need for the training of healthcare workers to be truly caring, the allocation of resources and healthcare services to addressing MSM-specific healthcare needs in healthcare facilities and the creation of an accommodating environment for them.