Healthcare Provision of Sexual and Gender Minorities in Slovenia. Legal Regulations and Hospital Practices

Abstract

The article provides an overview of the legal regulation of the right to health and medical procedures in Slovenia for people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities/expressions, or sex characteristics. It also presents hospital practices and the perceived relationship between patients and medical staff. Three objectives are pursued: to provide a comprehensive overview of Slovenian gender and sexual orientation legislation and hospital policies; to investigate how legal norms and hospital policies are implemented in clinical practice; and to highlight the ethical challenges perceived by healthcare workers and patients as a result of social diversity. Several types of data were reviewed: relevant legislation, internal documents from Slovenian general hospitals, documents from the Advocate of the Principles of Equality and the Human Rights Ombudsman, medical literature, and literature from non-governmental organizations. The reviewed and analyzed data indicate that some hospital staff lack the necessary skills to work with vulnerable groups, despite the fact that discrimination is prohibited by law and that cultural competency training is occasionally provided to healthcare professionals.

Ključne riječi
professional ethics; sexual and gender minorities; vulnerable populations; public hospitals; medical anthropology; Slovenia