Identifying Barriers to Health Access for Transgendered People of Color
Transgendered people of color experience barriers to health care at many levels. Few outreach and health education materials appropriately address the trans population. Language barriers further narrow access. While providers see transgendered people as representing a “diversity,” the diversity within the trans community, and the variety of needs resulting from this diversity, have yet to be addressed.
HIV prevention education services exemplify these problems. Education and outreach services overlook this most at-risk population. As a result, little impact has been made on substance abuse, commercial sex work and associated HIV infection rates. Extreme social and economic marginalization of this population, magnifies negative health outcomes, with HIV infection rates as high as 80% in one Atlanta cohort of trans sex workers of color. Extreme marginalization requires more services, including housing, employment, medical insurance, substance abuse treatment and trans support services, to insure stabilization and positive health outcomes.
In addition to addressing the non-medical and cultural factors which contribute to poor health outcomes for trans people of color, it is imperative to train and hire public health workers from the priority populations for outreach and service delivery.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to 1) identify language, cultural and socioeconomic barriers for transgendered people of color which result in decreased health outcomes; 2) recognize gaps in provider training and educational materials which create barriers; 3) access educational outreach materials that reduce barriers to care
Keywords: Underserved Populations, Access and Services
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Transgender Health and Education Network
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.