Repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of young lesbians, gays and bisexuals

• Grant number: 23/02045-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Elen Rose Lodeiro Castanheira
• Grantee: Flávio Murilo Reginato
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Sexual and gender minorities suffer processes of social exclusion, violence, discrimination and prejudice due to their sexual orientation and/or gender, which directly influences their health conditions. These processes may have taken on new dimensions in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, due to the social, economic and humanitarian crisis scenario, and the social isolation implemented in the first years of the pandemic as part of the protective measures. This situation introduced new challenges in the daily lives of young people who identify as lesbians, gays and bisexuals, as the vulnerability of these groups may have been intensified by the loss of contact with the support network and isolation with family members. The literature highlights the importance of networks and the risk of intra-family violence for young lesbians, gays and bisexuals who are often in a process of transitioning their identities and seeking social acceptance. Objective: Comprehend the processes related to sexuality that impact the health of young lesbians, gays and bissexuals and understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the health of these groups. Method: Qualitative study carried out through semi-structured interviews with young people self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual from a city in the interior of São Paulo, aged between 18 and 24 years. The interview script proposes a dialogue about sexuality and the process of self-identification, how this process takes place in family relationships and how the covid-19 pandemic, especially during the first two years, had repercussions on the health and illness processes of this group. The initial contact with the interviewees will be made with users of the Testing and Counseling Center (CTA) in the city, increasing the number of participants through the "snowball" technique, according to which the first interviewees indicate other possible participants and so on. It is projected to carry out approximately ten interviews, according to the saturation criterion, but also considering the time limit for project development. The analysis of the material will be done using the technique of content analysis, following the steps of pre-analysis, exploration of the material and treatment/interpretation of the results obtained.