Publication | Context | Selection | Type of study | Focus | Results |
Ahlsdotter, Maria, 2016. Slutrapport projekt hbtq-diplomering. Resultat och erfarenheter. Stockholms läns landsting. LAFA Enheten för sexuell hälsa. | SE | 31 healthcare centres, 242 participants educated | Questionnaire | Replacement of pilot in LGBTI certification | A majority experienced learning exchanges. Access to CPD is a challenge in the healthcare system. |
Areskoug Josefson, Kristina & Gard, Gunvor, 2015. Sexual Health as a Part of Physiotherapy: The Voices of Physiotherapy Students. Sexuality and disability, 2015. | SE | 31 students studying physiotherapy from two universities in Sweden | Focus group interviews | Is sexual health important knowledge for practising professionals and is there enough of this knowledge in study programmes? | There is not enough knowledge in study programmes but sexual health is considered to be very important for professional practice |
Areskoug-Josefsson, K., Larsson, A., Gard, G. et al. (2016). Health Care Students’ Attitudes Towards Working with Sexual Health in Their Professional Roles: Survey of Students at Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Programmes. Sex Disabil 34, 289–302 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-016-9442-z | SE | 419 students in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nursing programmes | Quantitative survey | Is sexual health important knowledge for practising professionals and is there enough of this knowledge in study programmes? | The students experienced that they had acquired too little knowledge in how to address sexual health related themes with patients. |
Areskoug Josefsson, K. & Solberg, A. S. (2023). Kartlegging av SRHR i forskrift og lokale program-, studie- og emneplaner for utvalgte utdanningsløp i Norge – Rapport Desember 2022. 49 s. ODA Open Digital Archive. | NO | General, subject and course syllabuses were investigated in roughly one third of all study programmes for 8 health and social sciences professional qualifications. | Mapping of indicators | To what extent are SRHR indicators taken into consideration in the selected education pathways? What needs for improvement does the mapping show? | Many SRHR indicators are not included in the study programme documents, so the extent of the inclusion of SRHR in the study programmes from different perspectives cannot be established. The results indicate a need for a stronger foundation for working holistically with the SRHR indicators at all levels in the study programme documents to ensure high quality in their work for the practising professionals included in the mapping. |
Baiocco, Roberto et al, 2021. LGBT+ Training Needs for Health and Social Care Professionals: A Cross‑cultural Comparison Among Seven European Countries. | DK (included) | 412 practising professionals in healthcare in seven European countries (Denmark, Cyprus, United Kingdom, Romania, Spain, Italy) | Quantitative survey | What are the needs for competence-enhancing efforts in LGBT+ perspectives among practising professionals in healthcare and social care occupations? | In the study, the participants expressed a need for competence-enhancing efforts and better inclusion of LGBT+ perspectives. |
Christensen, M., 2019. Konkreta möten med hbtq-frågor: queerande ögonblick i vårdpraktiken. In Vårdvetenskap och postmodernitet, editors Salzmann-Erikson, Eriksson, H. Christiansson, M., Holmgren, J. & Engström, A. Lund: Studentlitteratur | SE | Chapter in textbook for nursing students | The chapter describes how queer theory perspectives can be used in concrete interactions with patients, with a focus on gay men and older adults. | Medvetenhet kring kön- och sexualitetsnormer, samt äldre LGBTI-personers livloppserfarenheter är viktigt för mer inkluderande bemötande i vård- och omsorgspraktiker. | |
Egede, S. J., Fouchard, J., Frisch, M., & Graugaard, C. (2019). Danske LGBT-personers møde med almen praksis: Udfordringer og muligheder. Sundhedsstyrelsen; Sexologisk Forskningscenter, Klinisk Institut, Aalborg Universitet. | DK | Interviews with five general practice physicians and three nurses | Interview | Encountering LGBTI patients and the need for competence and skills | Those interviewed generally had little LGBTI competence and felt uncertain about where they could find knowledge about special needs |
Giertsen, Merete. Heteronormativity Prevails. A Study of Sexuality in Norwegian Social Work Programs. Journal of Social work education, 2017 | NO | Analysis of course literature in social work for the academic year 2013–2014 | Document analysis | How often is sexuality mentioned and in what ways? | Sexuality is mentioned on 90 pages, 0.08% of the course literature |
Gerbild, H., Larsen, P.T., Junge, T. Schantz Laursen, B. & Areskoug-Josefsson, K. (2020). Danish Health Professional Students' Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual Health: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Sex Med, 9:100323. | DK | 584 students from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and nursing study programmes | Quantitative survey | Is sexual health important knowledge for practising professionals and is there enough of this knowledge in study programmes? | The students had positive attitudes but their experience was that they had acquired too little knowledge in how to address sexual health related themes with patients in their education. |
Knutagård, H. 2016. Sexualitet och social arbete. Lund: Studentlitteratur | SE | Textbook | Sexualitet i socialt arbete som professionsfält | ||
Linander, Ida et al, 2020.Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: A Policy Analysis of the Swedish Guidelines for Trans-Specific Healthcare. Sexuality Research and Social Policy (2021) 18:309–320 | SE | Policy analysis of guidelines for assisting in the health of trans people in Sweden | Policy analysis | Which understandings of problem and solution are advocated in the guidelines | The guidelines have features in common with psycho medical understandings of gender dysphoria which dominate medical research and practice but also aim to depathologise trans experiences. |
Linander, Ida & Nilsson, Maria, 2021. ”Det är fokus på rätt saker”. Hbtq-personers upplevelser av region Västerbottens hbtq-diplomering. Institutionen för epidemiologi och global hälsa. Umeå universitet/ Folkhälsoenheten, Region Västerbotten | SE | Evaluation of Region Västerbotten’s LGBTI certification: analysis of its structure, organisation and interviews with users of health services. | Qualitative | Effekter av hbtq-certifiering i Region Västerbotten, Sverige | Underlag för förbättring av hbtq-diplomeringen; det saknas kunskap om STI och sexuella praktiker för lesbiska och att alla på kliniken är fortbildade. |
Lundberg, T., Nordlund, L., Narvola, J., 2017. Normkritiska perspektiv: nya möjligheter för svensk psykologisk praktik. lambda nordica, nr 4, 2017. | SE | National and international guidelines for practice in psychology | Qualitative | Psychology profession’s guidelines for good treatment and norm-critical perspectives | New guidelines in psychology provide greater scope for working in a norm-critical way in professional practice. The knowledge perspectives used are however central. |
Lundberg, T, Malmquist, A. och Wurm, M. (2017) HBTQ+ Psykologiska perspektiv och bemötande. Stockholm: Natur och kultur | SE | Textbook | Qualitative | Anthology with a focus on LGBTI perspectives in psychology grounded in queer theory and norm-critical perspectives with students and practising professionals as the target groups | LGBTI perspectives on psychology, living conditions and treatment, as well as guidelines which aim, based on the chapter in the book, to provide a brief overview of the skills and knowledge required by those who treat and encounter LGBTI people. |
Lunde, Gerd Hilde, Blaalid, Laila, Gerbild, Helle & Areskoug-Josefsson, Kristina, 2022. Assessment of the Psychometrics of the Student´s Attitudes Towards Addressing Sexual Health Extended (SA-SH-Ext) Questionnaire for Social Educator Students. Sexual medicine 10, Issue 3. | NO/SE/DK | 213 students studying social work | Survey | Develop a method for measuring knowledge about sexual health among students studying social work | The questionnaire can measure knowledge needs and attitudes towards taking up key topics in sexual health as future social workers. A majority were not comfortable with taking up sexual health in relation to age or sexual orientation |
Nielsen, B. F.R, 2018. Sygepleje til ældre lgbt-personer. Nordisk sygeplejeforskning, vol =, Issue 4, 302- 307 | DK | Review article | Qualitative | LGBTI+ and ageing challenges and knowledge needs for nurses in Denmark | There is little knowledge from Denmark about LGBTI ageing in Danish nursing study programme |
Norrman, Lina, Nilsson, Emma och Törnblom, Johan, 2013. Den kommunala garderoben. I LHBT-personer och åldrande. Nordiska perspektiv, red Bromseth & Siverskog. | SE | Five unit managers of nursing homes in Umeå municipality | Interview study | Attitudes to knowledge about LGBTI people’s experiences across the life course and needs in nursing homes for older people | An attitude that it is sufficient to ‘treat everyone equally’ dominates. |
Prebble, K., Gerbild, H. N., & Abrahamsen, C. (2022). Content validity and reliability of The Danish version of Health Care Students Attitudes towards Addressing Sexual Health - A psychometric study. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 36(2), 515-523. https://doi.org/10.1111/scs.13048 | DK | 111 students in health sciences, physiotherapy and occupational therapy | Questionnaire | Develop a method for measuring knowledge about sexual health among students studying social work | A majority were not comfortable with taking up sexual health in relation to age or sexual orientation |
RFSL/SKL (2015). RFSLs kommunundersökning 2015. Stockholm: RFSL | SE | Survey responses from 246 municipalities about their work to measure the differences in conditions for their residents based on six different areas: municipal activities, schools, education efforts, LGBTI community’s infrastructure, prevalence of hate crimes, and attitudes to LGBTI people | Survey | Survey of all the country’s municipalities working with LGBTI perspectives in various areas. Also includes surveys conducted in collaboration with SALAR. | 49 municipalities, 16.9%, get the pass rating of at least 3. Compared with when RFSL conducted its most recent municipal survey in 2006, this is an improvement. Then only nine municipalities got the pass rating of at least 3. |
Roen, K., Creighton, S. M, Hegarty, P. and Liao, L.-M. 2018. Vaginal Construction and Treatment Providers' Experiences. North American Society for Pedriativ and Adolescent Gynecology. | SE/GB | Interview study with 32 specialist doctors in multidisciplinary investigation teams from 12 hospitals in Sweden and the UK | Qualitative | To investigate clinical specialists’ experiences of treating vaginal reconstruction. | Specialist doctors were of the view that psychological support in discussions around vaginal reconstruction are important, but often reproduce normative expectations. The conversations ought to challenge social norms around the body and sexuality to a greater extent in order to create understanding and choice. |
Rosqvist, H.B. Nordlund, L. och Kaiser, N., 2014. Developing an authentic sex: Deconstructing developmental– psychological discourses of transgenderism in a clinical setting. Feminism & Psychology, Vol. 24(1) 20–36 | SE | Interviews with nine health professionals, observation of two clinical conferences and a focus group interview | Qualitative | To investigate the discursive understandings of transsexualism and identity that exist among psychologists in treatment teams | A developmental psychology discourse dominates with the emphasis on the development of authenticity and maturity in the development of gender identity. A more critical attitude to a developmental psychology discourse is essential to creating a more equal gender-affirming treatment |
Schindele, A-C., Wallin, M. & Josefsson, A. K. 2017. Kartläggning av utbildning i hiv-prevention och SRHR. Östersund: FHI | SE | Document analysis of indicators for sexual health in general and course syllabuses in eight professional qualification study programmes | Mapping of indicators | Representation of indicators for sexual health in general and course syllabuses human care professional qualification study programmes in Sweden. | Few of the study programmes have indicators for gender identity, sexual orientation and older age. |
Solberg, A., 2017. Skeiv i helse-Norge. Hamar: Likestillingssenteret | NO | Mapping of places to meet and healthcare services LGBTI people in the Innlandet region, as well as the competence and skills of healthcare staff concerning sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. | Mapping and survey | Investigate the knowledge and knowledge needs concerning LGBTI perspectives in units working with mental health in Innlandet, Norway | The mapping shows that there are few units in Innlandet who have employees with formal competence and skills concerning sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and that efforts to increase competence in these areas has a low priority. |
Socialstyrelsen 2013. Äldre hbt-personer och kommunernas vård och omsorg om äldre. En kartläggning. | SE | Survey of Swedish municipalities’ knowledge and competence enhancement efforts concerning older LGBTI people | Quantitative | Investigate Swedish municipalities’ work with older LGBTI people and active measures for equality in healthcare and social care. | Only 17% of municipalities and suburbs of the major cities mention older LGBTI people in any current governing documents. |
Socialstyrelsen 2023. Äldre hbt-personer och kommunernas vård och omsorg om äldre. En kartläggning. | SE | Mapping of Swedish municipalities’ knowledge and competence-enhancement efforts concerning older LGBTI people and their experiences of healthcare and social care | Survey study and interviews | Investigate the experiences of older LGBTI people of healthcare and social care, and Swedish municipalities’ active measures for older LGBTI people’s access to equal healthcare and social care. | Less than one third (28%) specifically mention older LGBTI people in their governing documents for equal treatment. All in all, 1/5 of the country’s municipalities are working with knowledge-enhancing activities that encompass older LGBTI people. |
Sommarö, Susanna, Anderson, Agneta och Skagerström, Janna, 2020. A deviation too many? Healthcare professionals’ knowledge and attitudes concerning patients with intellectual disability disrupting norms regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity. J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2020;33:1199–1209 | SE | Interviews with 19 healthcare staff with a variety of professional qualifications working at two habilitation centres for people with intellectual impairments. Twelve worked with children and seven with adults. | Qualitative method | Investigate healthcare and social care staff’s knowledge about and attitudes to patients who do not conform to the norms for gender identity and sexual orientation. | The analysis identified three themes: 1) heteronormative treatment in the healthcare system, 2) barriers in work for inclusion, and 3) opportunities for inclusion. |
Steij Stålbrand, I. 2017. HBTQ+ och äldre. In HBTQ+ Psykologiska perspektiv och bemötande, editors Lundberg, T, Malmquist, A. och Wurm, M. Stockholm: Natur och kultur | SE | Overview chapter, textbook Swedish and International research | Qualitative literature review | Ageing, sexuality, identity, norms LGBTIQ+ Implications for teaching in professional interactions | Knowledge about ageing, sexuality and LGBTI people’s experiences is lacking in professional qualification study programmes. To increase knowledge is important for the capacity of psychologists and healthcare and social care staff LGBTI people to be treated with respect and understanding. |
Stubberud, E., Prøitz, L. & Hamidiasl, H, (2018). Den eneste skeive i bygda. Unge LHBT-personers bruk av kommunale helsetjenester. KUN: Forlaget Nora | NO | Interview with 13 health workers in Norwegian municipalities | Qualitative | LGBTI perspective in practising their profession and competence needs | Almost no health workers had any knowledge about LGBTI perspectives included in their basic education. There are big differences between large and small municipalities when it comes to resources, funding and distance. |
Tengelin, Elinor, Bulow, Pia H., Berndtsson, Ina, Dahlborg Lyckhage, Elisabeth, 2019. Norm-critical potential in Undergraduate Nursing education: A Document Analysis of curricula. | SE | Document analysis of programme syllabuses for nursing education at a Swedish university | Qualitative document analysis | The article analyses what dominant perspectives are represented in national intended learning outcomes, programme syllabuses and course literature, and looks at the degree to which norm-critical perspectives are represented. | Policy documents and course literature at times contain a politically correct rhetoric but lack any anchoring in core values of social justice |
Tengelin, Elinor, 2019. Becoming aware of blind spots — Norm-critical perspectives on healthcare education. Dissertation, MIUN | SE | Analysis of policy documents, interviews with teaching staff and students in the nursing study programme at a university | Qualitative method and survey study | A compilation thesis investigating norm-critical perspectives in healthcare and social care related higher education by looking at normative perspectives in the study programme. | Tolerance as a slogan needs to be problematised in relation to norms, privileges and power at all levels. A tool for testing non-critical awareness was developed for students that can be used actively in teaching. |
Tikkinen, Kari A O et al., 2019. Public, health professional and legislator perspectives on the concept of psychiatric disease: a population- based survey. BMJ Open, 2019. | FI | Survey involving 3,259 respondents, including 1,701 psychiatrists/doctors/nurses | Quantitative survey | The survey investigates what was classified as mental illness by health professionals, members of Parliament and laypeople in Finland. | 20–50% are of the opinion that transsexualism is a mental illness More than 75 % think that homosexuality is not a mental illness |
Traczyk, M., Wurm, M., Ahonen, L, 2013. ”Det är ju inget vi frågar efter som psykologer”: psykologers upplevelse av klienter med könsöverskridande beteende. Lambda nordica, Vol 18, nr 3-4, 77-99 | SE | Interviews with five psychologists employed in Swedish county councils | Qualitative interview study | Experiences of interacting with patients with gender-crossing behaviours Knowledge about gender identity in education and in guidelines | The study shows a lack of knowledge among psychologists about gender-crossing behaviour is a phenomenon, which affects the interaction with the client, especially when the client identifies themselves as non-binary. The respondents and their professional practice were clearly influenced by heteronormative frames of understanding. |
Træen, Bente & Schaller, Sidsel, 2013. Talking to patients about sexual issues: experiences of Norwegian psychologists, Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 28:3, 281-291, DOI: 10.1080/14681994.2013.768338 To link to this article: | NO | 1064 clinical psychologists at various workplaces in Norway recruited via the Norwegian Psychological Association (NPF) | Quantitative survey with 1064 responses | Investigated whether psychologists take up sexuality in therapy and if so, any differences related to age, gender and knowledge background | 1 of 5 take up questions about sexuality with patients, with the majority asking now and then. 58% experienced that their knowledge was inadequate. |
Wickman, Jan, 2013. Äldre lhbt-personers livsvillkor och möte med vården i Finland. In LHBT-personer och åldrande. Nordiska perspektiv, editors Bromseth, J. & Siverskog, A. | FI | Research overview concerning older LGBTI people’s conditions in Finland based on policy and mappings in the competence needs of the healthcare and social care sector concerning ageing in LGBTI people | Mapping | Overview chapter concerning older LGBTI People’s conditions in Finland and access to equal healthcare | LGBTI people’s ageing and access to equal healthcare and social care is rendered entirely invisible in current policy and study programmes |
Wilén, Johansson, E. & Lundsten E, 2019. HBTQ-personers upplevelser av bemötande inom HBTQ-diplomerade vårdverksamheter i Västra götalandsregionen. Göteborg: GU/Västra götalandsregionen | SE | 19 people, 20–60 year + employees working in healthcare activities and therapy activities in Västra Götaland region | Qualitative, interviews | How are LGBTI-certified activities experienced by LGBTI patients, and what does this training mean to healthcare staff? | The certification was experienced as positive by the majority of employees as well as patients. The employees described certification as having created an awareness in the workplace and help to get LGBTI issues on the agenda. Being able to continue to work on a norm-conscious interaction after the certification depends on the activity’s circumstances. Some patients lacked general factual knowledge concerning LGBTI issues and support in navigating the healthcare system. |
Wurm, Mathilda & Lundberg, Tove, 2016. “The formation of an LGBTQ network for psychologists in Sweden: A work in progress”. Psychology of Sexualities Review, Vol 7, no 1. | SE | Historical review of the Swedish psychologists’ association’s work with LGBTI perspectives and the establishment of an LGBTI network in Sweden. | Mapping | Our professional associations and psychology in Sweden have worked with LGBTI perspectives, and how the establishment of a network affects work in the field | A network has positive effects in the form of starting conversations and exerting influence around the introduction of LGBTI and norm-critical perspectives in the field. |