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It is rare to find honest accounts of the difficulties and dilemmas encountered when conducting sensitive research with vulnerable research populations. This account explores some of the ethical issues raised by a qualitative interview study with lesbians and gay men about their experiences of nursing care. There is tension between the moral duty to conduct research with vulnerable and stigmatized groups in order to improve care, and the inevitable lack of resources that go with such a venture. This increases the risk of harm during the process of research. The risk of harm to both the researchers and the researched is explored and the need for a support structure for both groups is raised. There is a pressing need to develop further understanding about the ways in which the dissemination of research can potentially harm already vulnerable research populations.

Work currently being undertaken by the Royal College of Nursing's Lesbian and Gay Nursing Issues Working Party has revealed evidence of prejudice towards, and discrimination against, lesbian and gay patients by members of the nursing and medical professions. In addition, there are instances when the specific nursing needs of this population have not been met due to lack of knowledge on the part of practitioners. Lesbians and gay men who have mental health problems are particularly vulnerable to abuse from homophobic health care workers. Lesbian and gay teenagers are even more vulnerable, and they run the added risk of being labelled mentally ill because of behaviour which is considered socially undesirable. This article discusses the research evidence and highlights the need for further investigation into providing appropriate and acceptable services to these patients.