BEING A LESBIAN WOMAN IN CHILE: EXPERIENCES OF SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS VIOLATION

Abstract

The rights of lesbian women continue to be violated despite the actions of social organizations that have fought for their recognition and for public policies that promote their wellbeing. Objective: To describe the social perception of sexual and reproductive rights held by lesbian women. Methodology: We worked from a qualitative design of descriptive scope and cross-sectional temporality. Five adult women who identify themselves as lesbians participated. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and later codified and analyzed using grounded theory. Results: The central phenomenon that emerged refers to experiences related to the vulnerability and perspective of being a lesbian woman in Chile. The results revealed that lesbian women experience different types of vulnerability as they grow up immersed in a heteropatriarchal context which discriminates against them, forcing them to generate self-care strategies. Conclusion: It was concluded that lesbian women become aware of the existence of their rights as they are violated throughout their lives.