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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Faculty Publications

University of South Carolina

Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

LGBTQ+ Communities

Publication Year

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

“In The Beginning, It Was Little Whispers...Now, We’Re Almost A Roar”: Conceptualizing A Model For Community And Self In Lgbtq+ Health Information Practices, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Alexander N. Vera Jan 2020

“In The Beginning, It Was Little Whispers...Now, We’Re Almost A Roar”: Conceptualizing A Model For Community And Self In Lgbtq+ Health Information Practices, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Alexander N. Vera

Faculty Publications

Although LGBTQ+ populations experience significant health challenges, little research exists that investigates their health from an informational perspective. Our study addresses this gap by exploring the health information practices of LGBTQ+ communities in South Carolina, focusing on how sociocultural context shapes these practices. Thirty semi-structured interviews with South Carolina LGBTQ+ community leaders analyzed using open qualitative coding informed the development of a conceptual framework describing their information practices. Findings show that participants engaged in two broad types of practices – protective and defensive – as responses to risks and barriers experienced, which are in turn produced by social and structural …


Resituating Public Library Values To Leverage The Health Information Practices Of South Carolina Lgbtq+ Communities, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Alexander N. Vera, Valerie A. Lookingbill Jan 2019

Resituating Public Library Values To Leverage The Health Information Practices Of South Carolina Lgbtq+ Communities, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Alexander N. Vera, Valerie A. Lookingbill

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


We Try To Find Something For Whatever Obstacle Might Be In Our Way": Understanding The Health Information Practices Of South Carolina Lgbtq+ Communities, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Valerie A. Lookingbill, Alexander N. Vera Jan 2019

We Try To Find Something For Whatever Obstacle Might Be In Our Way": Understanding The Health Information Practices Of South Carolina Lgbtq+ Communities, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Valerie A. Lookingbill, Alexander N. Vera

Faculty Publications

Title: “We Try to Find Something for Whatever Obstacle Might be in Our Way”: Understanding the Health Information Practices of South Carolina LGBTQ+ Communities Objective: LGBTQ+ people experience health disparities compared to heterosexual, cisgender peers. Individual and systemic barriers produe these disparities. One barrier is informational, as LGBTQ+ people experience challenges when learning about their health needs, navigating the healthcare system, and overcoming obstacles to care. This paper investigates the future of libraries and the health sciences by exploring how they can address these informational barriers. Methods: This paper reports on ~30 ongoing interviews with LGBTQ+ community leaders from South …


"Like Two Beach Umbrellas Put Together": Investigating The Health Information Practices Of South Carolina Lgbtq+ Communities, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Valerie A. Lookingbill, Alexander N. Vera Jan 2019

"Like Two Beach Umbrellas Put Together": Investigating The Health Information Practices Of South Carolina Lgbtq+ Communities, Vanessa Kitzie, Travis L. Wagner, Valerie A. Lookingbill, Alexander N. Vera

Faculty Publications

This poster presents initial findings from an exploratory, qualitative study investigating the health information practices of LGBTQ+ communities in South Carolina (SC). Significant health disparities exist between LGBTQ+ people and their cisgender, heterosexual counterparts. An important but under-researched barrier producing disparities is informational, as LGBTQ+ people face challenges in learning about their healthcare needs, navigating the healthcare system, and overcoming barriers to care. This study addresses research gaps via the following questions: 1) How do LGBTQ+ communities create, seek, share, and use health information?, and 2) What social and structural factors affect these health-related information practices?Findings are informed by ~30 …