Nearly half of transgender adults in the U.S. have experienced having “negative or discriminatory experiences” with a medical provider, according to a report released this week by the Center for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organization.
Researchers looked into health care conditions for the transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming population in the country and found that nearly one in two people has reported mistreatment by health care professionals — including physical and verbal abuse, intentional misgendering, and even refusal of care.
The situation is even worse for nonwhite members of the community.
According to CAP, a liberal think tank founded by former White House chief of staff John Podesta, 68% of trans people of color — including Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial individuals — reported having experienced mistreatment by a medical provider.
Many transgender adults have also avoided medical care due to cost, and for fear of discrimination.
More than half (51%) of adults didn’t seek medical care because it was too expensive, including 60% of trans people of color.
Nearly a quarter of them (22%) avoided care because they were afraid they would be discriminated against because of their gender identity — including 28% of nonwhite trans people.
Wednesday's report, which also highlighted disparities in suicide attempts, mental health, discrimination and economic security between transgender and cisgender people, drew from analyses of three data sources.
One was a nationally representative survey of 1,528 LGBTQ adults in the U.S. conducted by CAP in June 2020. Another source was the 2019 edition of the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Researchers also used data compiled by TransPop, a study conducted by the Williams Institute, Columbia University, Harvard University, and the Fenway Institute at Fenway Health from 2016 and 2018, which was the first nationally representative survey of transgender individuals in the U.S.
“Adopting both nondiscrimination laws and inclusive policies will be critical for improving health outcomes and the daily lives of the estimated 1.4 million adults identifying as transgender in the United States,” the authors wrote.
“The federal government and policymakers must address health disparities and barriers to care for transgender communities by implementing holistic policy solutions,” they concluded.
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