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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Nofirstname Scout, ABD, Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University, 535 W. 111th St. #51, New York, NY 10025-1992, 212-864-5398, scoutdc@aol.com
Background: Health research focusing on transgender people is a very new area. While over ten needs assessments have been conducted by communities, few find their way into peer-reviewed journals, only adding to the dearth of knowledge about this population. What information does exist points to severe health disparities both in behavioral risk factors and access to health care. Many of these health disparities may be linked to discrimination.
Methods: Two focus groups, eight life history interviews, and twelve ally interviews were conducted to explore the impact of social determinants on transgender health. Issues such as race, gender, socioeconomic status, social support and discrimination are all explored as they impact current and past patterns of health-seeking.
Findings: Preliminary findings show strong correlates between vector of transgender experience, male to female versus female to male, and differing health experiences. Further, within group diversity, even along same vector lines, makes generalizing for these populations difficult. One of the biggest barriers to care for transgender people is discrimination, which impacts their lives in a myriad of different ways that ultimately impact health.
Discussion: Transgender people represented very underserved populations. Within group diversity necessitates a sophisticated approach to providing care for these populations. Discrimination must be addressed at a variety of different levels in order to successfully overcome barriers to care.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Access and Services, Barriers to Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.