What Does Queer Healthcare Look Like in the Philippines?

Dr. Dean Patrick Eugene Reyes of Hara Clinic and Dr. Migs Dela Cruz of LoveYourself Inc. share their insights about queer-centered healthcare and healing.

When Dr. Dean Patrick Eugene Reyes was 22 years old, he went through a tragic experience. At the time, he was still a medical student who was sexually active. One night, tragically, he experienced sexual assault. “Because of that, it was unprotected. I had an HIV scare,” he says. Back then, he was a closeted gay man, and many things ran through his mind: Who do I turn to? How would people see me? Am I irresponsible because I didn’t take care of myself?

“This was ten years ago. When I got tested, it was at an NGO, and the location was a dark, dingy place. So right there, I already felt like I did something wrong,” he says. As part of the procedure, he had to recount his sexual assault experience, which he describes as an uncomfortable experience. “I never went back and got tested there again.”

Ten years ago, HIV was on the rise in the Philippines. From 2010 to 2015, HIV cases in the Philippines increased by more than 277 percent. According to statistics, more than 80 percent of recorded HIV infections were concentrated among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM), with 28 percent of infections coming from the 15 to 24-year age group. Although the numbers were rising, the HIV epidemic outpaced the responses at the time.

Dr. Reyes’ experience was not unique, and it still happens today. “Here in the Philippines, what I heard is, for example, for sexual or STI concerns, they are judged at the receptionist level,” he says. “When you look at the international data, for example, like Fenway Institute, one of the main institutes of gender or queer health in the U.S., the data show that most queer people have experienced discrimination already. It’s called minority stress or minority trauma.”

This discrimination, Dr. Reyes says, hinders queer people from receiving the best healthcare that they can get. In a conservative country, sex is already an uncomfortable conversation to have, and it is even more so when you are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Dr. Reyes recalls patients’ stories of being shamed, lectured, and refused healthcare due to their identity. “At that point, they want to get through the experience as fast as possible. So what they do is that they withhold information about their sexual orientation because they will be judged or discriminated against, and they will not get an adequate amount of care,” he says.

It is these types of stories that have also led Dr. Jan Dio Miguel “Doc Migs” Dela Cruz to work with LoveYourself Inc., a volunteer-driven non-profit that provides free HIV testing, sexual health services, and gender-affirming care. “Through LoveYourself, I found a space where healthcare is community-led, affirming, and accessible. It reinforced my belief that queer healthcare is not a niche issue, but public health.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Reyes founded Hara Clinic, a holistic gender and sexual health clinic. Described as a “one-stop shop” for the LGBTQIA+ community, Hara Clinic offers a range of services, from sexual health and STI care to LGBTQIA+-inclusive primary care. “At Hara, we believe in holistic healing. The body, mind, and emotions are all connected. Every medical consultation has a bit of therapy in it because every illness brings with it some form of stress, fear, or shame,” he says.

What should queer healthcare look like?

As medical practitioners who work primarily in queer healthcare, the two shared their views on what affirming care looks like. “Affirming care goes beyond simply being ‘tolerant’ or open-minded.’ It means actively creating a space where clients feel respected, safe, and heard without fear of judgement,” Dr. Dela Cruz says. In practice, it includes using correct names and pronouns, protecting confidentiality, and recognizing that healthcare should adapt to clients. “More importantly, it means people feel seen and validated when discussing their bodies, relationships, and health concerns.”

According to him, stigma remains one of the biggest barriers, with queer Filipinos avoiding healthcare due to fear of judgment, discrimination, and being misunderstood. “There’s a lot of self-management: people buying hormones online, asking friends for advice, or waiting until they’re really sick before going to a clinic,” he says. “You see this cycle of delayed medical consults, fragmented follow-up, and a lot of anxiety around being “different.”

Along with this, LGBTQIA+ health competencies have gaps, particularly in transgender health and gender-affirming care. Access also remains an issue, with knowledgeable, affirming, and affordable healthcare still sparse in rural communities.

Beyond the physical, the mental aspect of healing is crucial to the queer community. Shame, silence, and hyper-independence are the most common patterns or experiences of queer people, Dr. Reyes says. “Many queer Filipinos were raised not to rock the boat,” he says. “These clients are often high-functioning, but they are carrying years of unprocessed pain. And that pain shows up in risky behaviors, in avoidance of healthcare, or in chasing validation through sex or achievement.”

According to Dr. Reyes, acknowledging these patterns is needed to begin healing. “True healing means being able to sit with the messy parts of ourselves. To say, ‘This is what I feel, and I am still worthy of love,’” he says. “That is why we offer a space where it is safe to do that. A space where you can look at the parts of yourself that were called sinful or broken and realize they were never bad to begin with.”

Community care, he says, ties it all together. “Healing does not happen in isolation,” he says. “We highlight the unique challenges of LGBTQIA+ couples because their stories are often left out. Our goal is to create a space where care feels safe, embodied, and shared.”

What progress has the Philippines made in queer healthcare?

Over the years, the Philippines has made significant progress, according to Dr. Dela Cruz. There has been increased HIV awareness and service delivery; HIV testing has become more accessible, and conversations around PrEP and U=U (Undetectable equals Untransmittable, meaning zero risk) are becoming more mainstream. “Community-led models have also helped normalize testing and improve linkage to care,” he adds.

“However, despite these gains, the Philippines still faces a rapidly growing HIV epidemic, particularly among young people and key populations,” he says. “Awareness alone is not enough; we need sustained investment in prevention, education, treatment access, and stigma reduction.”

With that, he calls for national health standards that explicitly include LGBTQIA+ people and require Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression(SOGIE)-inclusive training for health workers. “We need stronger anti-discrimination protections, broader access to gender-affirming healthcare, and more comprehensive LGBTQIA+ health education within medical and allied health training. Sexual and reproductive health that is gender-affirmative should be fully integrated into the Universal Health Care framework, not treated as a side issue,” he says.

To add, he also says that policies should support decentralized and community-led healthcare delivery, especially outside Metro Manila. According to him, expansions on mental health services, improving access to HIV prevention tools, and strengthening public health financing would also significantly improve outcomes.

At the end of the day, Dr. Reyes emphasizes that queer healing or healthcare goes beyond sex. “It’s really about identity, being unable to live your true, authentic self because of who you are and your environment,” he says. “A big part of it is about giving an opportunity or space to be seen and heard, not judged and discriminated against.”

While there is more work to be done for the community, such as the passing of the SOGIE Bill, Dr. Reyes encourages queer people and allies to get educated and to support and be kind to one another. As he says, “More rights for others don’t mean fewer rights for you.” 

Dr. Dela Cruz adds, “You deserve healthcare that is respectful, compassionate, and safe. Your identity should never be a barrier to receiving quality care.”