South Africa Opens First Ever Queer Wellness Centre On The African Continent. South Africa opened its first Queer Wellness Centre on Tuesday.
South Africa opened its first Queer Wellness Centre on Tuesday. The LGBTQI+ South African members say that the first African Queer Wellness Centre would reserve the homosexual and transgender members from being shamed, being confused and denied help as they do when they looking for medical attention. The founders of the Johannesburg wellness centre said it wiuld give their patients stigma-free mental and sexual health operations.
There will also be treatments that are aimed at the LGBTQI+ needs. The medical doctor working with the medical centre, Mzamo Mbelle, says he hopes other countries in the African continent would that it is possible for them too. Mzamo Mbelle says, “We hope that other African countries will see that if we can do this, then it is possible for them to do it too.” South Africa is the only country in the African continent that allows same-sex marriage. The constitution was also the first law in the world that prohibited discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Mzamo Mbelle says there are five clinics that accommodate LGBTQI+ members but they do not specifically help the transgender and gay people. The medical doctor gave the instance of pap smears, which are specifically recommended for individuals with HIV. The co-founder of the wellness centre, Claudia Do Vale, says she used her life savings of approximately R1 million to build the centre. She did after noticing that LGBTQI+ members didn’t get the care that was needed.
by Alexandra Ramaite
