October 22, 2010 7:43 PM BST
This is a very eye opening report on the health and health care of transgender in the U.S. Here is a list of the key survey statistics which should cause everyone to pause and think about their future.
KEY HEALTH CARE FINDINGS
▪▪Survey participants reported very high levels of postponing medical care when sick or injured due to discrimination (28%) or inability to afford it (48%);
▪▪Respondents faced significant hurdles to accessing health care, including:
• Refusal of care: 19% of our sample reported being refused care due to their transgender or gender non-conforming status, with even higher numbers among people of color in the survey;
• Harassment and violence in medical settings: 28% of respondents were subjected to harassment in medical settings and 2% were victims of violence in doctor’s offices;
• Lack of provider knowledge: 50% of the sample reported having to teach their medical providers about transgender care;
▪▪Despite the barriers, the majority of survey participants have accessed some form of transition-related medical care; the majority reported wanting to have surgery but have not had any surgeries yet;
▪▪If medical providers were aware of the patient’s transgender status, the likelihood of that person experiencing discrimination increased;
▪▪Respondents reported over four times the national average of HIV infection, 2.64% in our sample compared to .6% in the general population, with rates for transgender women at 3.76%, and with those who are unemployed (4.67%) or who have engaged in sex work (15.32%) even higher;
▪▪
ver a quarter of the respondents misused drugs or alcohol specifically to cope with the discrimination they faced due to their gender identity or expression;
▪▪A staggering 41% of respondents reported attempting suicide compared to 1.6% of the general population, with unemployment, low income, and sexual and physical assault raising the risk factors significantly.
Click the attached link to view the full report.
Hugs,
Marsha
