Care Beyond the Clinic: Five Years of Work with LGBTIQ+ People and Sex Workers in San Pedro Sula

For five years, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has provided access to comprehensive healthcare for LGBTIQ+ people and sex workers in San Pedro Sula, northern Honduras. During this time, MSF has identified conditions that leave the needs of these communities unmet and place additional pressure on the few organizations still operating in San Pedro Sula. 

Five years of continuous presence have generated operational knowledge and lasting relationships within these communities. Despite progress, significant gaps in medical care persist due to stigma, discrimination, and structural barriers, underscoring the need for sustained community-based approaches. 

Community outreach is an essential component of MSF's medical response, helping to build trust and facilitate access to healthcare. 

Five years of serving the community 

In July 2021, MSF decided to open a clinic "with its doors open", a space in the city center where sex workers and LGBTIQ+ people can access free and confidential medical and mental healthcare focused on sexual and reproductive health, without stigma, revictimization, or discrimination. 

Our objective was, and remains, to provide quality care that reaches the communities we serve with a humane approach and helps close the gaps in available services. 

At the San Pedro Sula clinic, MSF provides comprehensive care, including medical and psychological care, social work support, and health promotion.

"It is essential that LGBTIQ+ people have access to health services that respect their gender identity or sexual orientation, and that sex workers are treated with respect, without being automatically associated with HIV or sexually transmitted infections," says Claudia Aguiar, project coordinator. 

The San Pedro Sula clinic also provides comprehensive care to people who have experienced sexual violence. They receive treatment to prevent sexually transmitted infections and HIV, prevent pregnancy, and access psychosocial support. Over the past five years, MSF has provided 308 consultations related to sexual violence. 

"I prefer coming here, and so do my colleagues. There are no long lines, the doctors make us feel comfortable, and we have kept coming because the care has been excellent. At the time, I used to spend time in the park in San Pedro Sula. I was a sex worker, and they took us to the clinic and told us about the services available to us. Things went well for us. To me, they are like angels because the care is free and excellent," says Jesusita, a patient at the San Pedro Sula clinic.