Table 4.
Control beliefs
| Themes and codes | Number of citations | Number of focus groups |
|---|---|---|
| Barriers | 47 | 7 |
| Being judged, treated differently or outed | 34 | 7 |
| Having to go to a site reserved for MSM that would forcibly reveal their sexual orientation | 16 | 7 |
| Feeling judged, rejected or treated differently by staff | 8 | 4 |
| Fear of breaches of confidentiality regarding personal information | 6 | 3 |
| Having to go through a different process than other donors | 3 | 2 |
| Being used to gather statistics about MSM | 1 | 1 |
| Having to go through a process that is lengthy and restrictive | 13 | 6 |
| Having to return to get tested before their donation is released from quarantine | 8 | 4 |
| Having to book an appointment beforehand | 3 | 2 |
| Being refused once on site due to other admissibility criteria | 2 | 2 |
| Facilitating factors | 120 | 7 |
| A site where they can receive other medical services | 39 | 7 |
| Receiving a complete STBBI screening | 16 | 7 |
| Being able to donate plasma when they go for their regular medical check‐ups | 14 | 5 |
| Linking their medical data to their Héma‐Québec file, so they wouldn't have to go back to the donation site | 6 | 3 |
| A site that is part of a global service offer | 3 | 2 |
| Being treated with respect and discretion on site | 30 | 7 |
| Being greeted on site by MSM or trained staff sensitive to the realities of LGBTQ+ communities | 20 | 6 |
| Not having to declare your sexual orientation to staff members | 10 | 4 |
| Being treated equally as other donors | 18 | 6 |
| A site for everyone | 10 | 5 |
| Being treated equally as others | 4 | 2 |
| Going to the donation site of their choice | 2 | 2 |
| Imposing quarantine for everyone on site | 2 | 2 |
| A site that is accessible and flexible | 17 | 6 |
| A site that is open evenings and weekends | 7 | 6 |
| A site that is near a metro station or have a free parking lot | 5 | 3 |
| Being able to book an appointment | 3 | 3 |
| Having slots for appointments and for walk‐ins | 2 | 1 |
| Having more transparency and commitment from Héma‐Québec | 14 | 5 |
| Having a large‐scale promotion of plasma donation | 6 | 3 |
| Héma‐Québec apologizing for the years of oppression | 3 | 2 |
| Héma‐Québec displaying their pride in the programme through an awareness campaign | 3 | 2 |
| Héma‐Québec committing to offer more than the programme that is proposed | 2 | 1 |
| A site for MSM only that would provide | 2 | 2 |
| A site for MSM only that would provide an open space where they wouldn't be judged | 1 | 1 |
| A site that is openly gay‐friendly | 1 | 1 |