Intersectional needs explained
What are intersectional needs?
Many people are part of groups that have been treated badly or excluded in the past. Some people have been treated badly or excluded when they seek health care. This might be because of their faith, their gender, their sexuality, their disability, or another reason. Some people are part of more than one group that has not had their needs met. The word intersectional refers to someone who is part of more than one of these groups.
Some people have intersectional needs—needs due to being part of more than one group. Here are some examples:
This project looks at a few kinds of intersectional needs people have when they seek health care.
How can I get involved?
We want to talk to you about your own intersectional needs in healthcare. We want to talk to you if you have intersectional needs in both of these two main areas…
Bodies, Roles & Relationships
- gender identity, experience, or expression (including but not limited to agender, brotherboy, sistergirl, genderqueer, gender-fluid, trans, simply man or woman [who happens to have a trans experience or history], non-binary);
- being an intersex person (i.e., a person born with physical characteristics that are not considered strictly ‘female’ or ‘male’ in modern medical science;
- your sexuality (including but not limited to asexual, bisexual, pansexual, queer, poly);
- AND/OR
- your relationship(s) (including but not limited to same-gender, poly, and multi-partnered)
AND
Faith, Culture & Citizenship
- culture(s) or ethnicities (being from anAboriginal/Indigenous and/or Torres Strait Islander community and/or being from one or more linguistically and/or culturally diverse populations;
- faith/belief(s); AND/OR
- citizenship status (including but not limited to people born overseas, people seeking asylum, and people who have refugee status)
AND
You have had any of the following life experiences…
- a long-term or complex health condition
- homelessness
- living in community housing or a group home
- having low to no income
- ageing
- being given a disability label or living with a disability
- past or current sex work
- Autistic Spectrum and Aspergers neurodiversity
- Rural or remote background
- Substance addiction
- Leaving care
- Time spent in juvenile justice or corrections facility