Applying the Mims-Swensonsexual health model to nurse education: offering an alternative focus on sexuality and health care

Several recent publications have documented the existence of negative attitudes towards lesbians, gay men and bisexual men and women among health care professionals. It has been demonstrated that these negative attitudes predate the advent of HIV/AIDS, and are ingrained in medical and nursing education. Research has shown that, within the hospital environment, negative attitudes towards homosexuality may be directly translated into the medical and nursing care provided for lesbian, gay and bisexual clients. In this article, studies focusing on the attitudes of health care professionals towards homosexuality and bisexuality are examined, and their implications are discussed with reference to the future of nursing education.