LGBT Health Week 2019: Excellence without discrimination

BEIRUT: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuals, and Transgender community (LGBT) made tremendous progress over the last decades worldwide, from legalizing same-sex marriage in some countries, to even legalizing same-sex adoption.

Yet, some countries still fall into homophobic views and regimes limiting or even wiping out freedom of expression and the very existence of LGBT people. The case for Lebanon is complicated when it comes to these individuals, where homosexuality is still criminalized under the Penal Code 534 which proclaims all “unnatural relations” illegal, causing LGBT individuals discrimination in many fields, one of which is sexual health.

For the third year in a row, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH) is organizing a week-long event starting March 12th till March 17, 2019, aimed at supporting the development of excellent sexual healthcare and the provision of non-discriminatory medical attention for all those who seek it.

This year’s slogan is “Excellence without Discrimination”, underscores the importance of providing competent healthcare without any form of discrimination, specifically that which is based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, it follows the campaign done earlier in December by LebMASH, “Homosexuality Is Not A Disease”, which strived to educate and change the policy of sexual orientation change practices.

“We at LebMASH try to achieve equity in health care, especially for the LGBT individuals.” Dr. Chadi Ibrahim, Psychiatrist/ Clinical Sexologist and President of LebMASH, told Annahar,” through research, education, and policy change for both educational and governmental institution we hope to correct one of the major misconceptions around LGBT. Now during the LGBT health week, we are focusing on the education of medical and health care institutions. This year’s week focuses on the life span of homosexuality, both young and the elderly LGBT individuals are included.”

Earlier this week, the first event took place on March 12, in collaboration with Balsam, The Lebanese Center for Palliative Care. The conference entitled “Improving Equity in the Provision of Palliative care in Lebanon”, gathered speakers and addressed palliative care in Lebanese prisons, people with drug misuse problems, marginalized populations, and sexual minorities.

Speakers included Mr. Karim Mrad, Captain Inspectorate General at the Human Rights Department of Ministry of Interior, Mr. Claude Chidiac, Program Director for Palliative Care at Francis Hospice and London South Bank University and LebMASH board member, Elena Fassi, caseworker for Anti-Racism Movement Mala and Sri Lankan Women’s Society, Dr. Ramzi Haddad, Skoun Co-founder and Head of Treatment Program, Dr. Asaad Kadhum, Chief of Health UNHCR, and Dr. Aline Zakhem, Medical Director of Balsam.

Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual, according to The World Health Organization.

LGBT individuals facing life-threatening and terminal illness sometimes find no family support due to the stigma and non-acceptance of sexual orientation by relatives, and they are left to face their death with no support from loved ones. Palliative care comes in here to help the individuals “live before they die”, and aims to help acceptance and the facing of fate.

The sexual health week also includes a conference on March 16, at Beit Tabib, entitled “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Across the Lifespan,” and the third event at American University of Beirut, entitled “LGBT Health Student Workshop”.