Lesbian health: care experiences of primary care nurses

Lesbians face many barriers in health services, and experience prejudice, stigmatization and the invisibility of their health demands. This article aimed at understanding the meanings attributed by primary care nurses to health care practices directed at lesbians. This is a qualitative research carried out with 15 nurses who worked in primary care in Teresina, Piauí. The analysis was based on Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework of habitus, field and symbolic violence. It was observed that the practices of nurses in the field of primary care follow heteronormative protocols. Therefore, it is essential that these nurses develop other habitus, aiming to guarantee different types of identities within the health services.