2026-10-11T17:56:58Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34028196 2026-09-30T00:17:23Z category_33752 category_33827 portal_1005 item_type_6 month_year_09_2026

Navigating Healthcare: Autistic Women and Gender Diverse People’s Experiences with General Practitioners Teagan Menhenett (23039692) Sherryn Evans (13800268) Monique Seymour (5822057) Laura Pecora (14682007) Health sciences Health services and systems Health Disparities and Racial or Ethnic Minority Health Research Health Services Women's Health Health Disparities Clinical Research Social Determinants of Health 8.1 Organisation and delivery of services 7.1 Individual care needs Generic health relevance 3 Good Health and Well Being 5 Gender Equality Purpose Despite greater healthcare needs, Autistic people encounter marked barriers accessing adequate and affirming healthcare. Research into these disparities has been informative, however, less has focused on the healthcare experiences that are unique to Autistic women or those who identify as gender diverse. Moreover, even less attention has been paid to the support that they receive from their General Practitioners (GPs). This study sought to understand Autistic women and gender diverse peoples’ healthcare experiences when seeking and receiving care from a GP. Method Forty-eight Autistic women and 14 gender diverse adults (aged 18 to 62 years), who were recruited through paid advertisements, described their experiences seeking and receiving healthcare from a GP in an open-ended online survey. Results Using Template Thematic Analysis, we developed four themes; (1) Personal Qualities of GPs; (2) Supportive Approaches to Care; (3) Healthcare Setting and Environment; (4) Interactions and Experiences. Conclusions Autistic people described many positive and affirming experiences with their GP, which allowed them to feel seen and appropriately supported. However, many encountered individual and system level barriers which impacted their access to equitable healthcare and attainment of positive health outcomes. Findings elucidate the need for educational programs for GPs focusing on the unique healthcare needs of Autistic people with intersectional identities, and the importance of consultation with them in service provision. Together, these changes have the potential to provide Autistic people with equitable access to affirming healthcare, and subsequent opportunities to thrive in ways that are defined by them.<p></p> 2026-09-01T00:00:00Z Text Journal contribution 10.26187/deakin.34028196 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Navigating_Healthcare_Autistic_Women_and_Gender_Diverse_People_s_Experiences_with_General_Practitioners/34028196 CC BY 4.0