Health biographies: narrative case studies of health, sexualities and inclusion in the pandemic age

Marginalised social groups have often faced greater exposure to risk, social discrimination and stigma during infectious disease outbreaks, but some have also benefitted from solidarity and collective memories of community support. In this article, we present a set of four case studies derived from a project involving in-depth interviews with members of marginalised groups about their health experiences across their life course. The analysis uses health biography case studies to identify the rationales, affects and practices related to experiencing and dealing with COVID-19 and mpox among a group of gender, sex and sexuality diverse participants. We identify the practices that participants found worked well for facilitating feelings of protection and belonging in relation to healthcare and the communities of which they felt a part. Findings highlight the importance for participants of continuing population-level protections against COVID-19 and mpox as well as of sensitive and accessible healthcare. Participants reported varied experiences of inclusion/exclusion, shaped through factors such as whether they found such support helpful or saw others as willing to demonstrate care. A crucial first step towards more inclusive pandemic preparedness is better acknowledgement that a lack of inclusive and accessible healthcare continues to place people at risk.