Women, trans*, and gender non-conforming people generally, and migrants and refugees specifically, face way too many barriers when trying to access decent healthcare in Lebanon. The very high cost of consultations and lack of financial coverage are the obvious culprits, but other, subtler restraints also exist.

Medical information and services are usually available only through a highly patriarchal, male-dominated medical body that seems to have appointed itself guardian of society’s “morals”, while it has internalized the crudest forms of misogyny. The medical body’s claim (and society’s belief) that its clinical approach towards issues like gender, sexuality, and mental health is devoid of subjective moral judgments is incredibly harmful.

When we walk into a dentist’s clinic and somehow get lectured on our body weight, that does not count as a medical opinion. When we consult a family physician for back pain and leave the clinic with a prescription for antidepressants, that does not count as a medical opinion. When we see a gynecologist and are told our infection is the result of our sin of extra-marital sex, that most certainly does not count as a medical opinion.

As part of our work at The A Project, we have come across many complaints against healthcare providers and received many requests for recommendations for decent doctors. Unfortunately, we’ve often found our hands tied. So we are crowdsourcing and asking for your help in building a reliable and accessible referral database.

You would have to fill a survey, yes, but this is not a study.

We are collecting data from people like you and me in order to serve people like you and me. The data will not be used for research purposes or end up in a publication that no one but academics will ever read. The data you provide will feed into an ever-growing database of trusted (and not-so-trusted) healthcare providers.

Due to legal restrictions on publishing such information, it will only be accessible through our sexuality hotline. So, if you find yourself wondering which doctor to consult, especially for issues related to sexual, reproductive, and mental health, we would hopefully be able to tell you which doctor will have the decency not to insult you during the consultation.

Give a little something, take a little something.

Fill the survey, spread the word, and when you need a recommendation, call our hotline.

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