New Facts about Transgender People and Health Care

In February 2011, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) released the largest‐ever survey of transgender and gender non‐conforming people, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (available at http://transequality.org/PDFs/NTDS_Report.pdf). Nearly 6,500 responded to this wide‐ranging questionnaire. Here are some highlights relating to transgender people and health care:

Experiences of abuse and discrimination

•   28% had been subjected to harassment in a medical setting
  
•   26% had been physically assaulted in at least one health care setting
  
•   24% had been denied equal treatment at a doctor’s office or hospital
  
•   19% had been refused medical care due to being transgender or gender non‐conforming (the rate was
  higher for transgender people of color)
  
•   13% had been denied equal treatment at an emergency room
  
•   10% had been sexually assaulted in at least one health care setting
  
  Postponement of care
  
  •   48% had postponed medical care because of inability to afford it
    
  •   28% had postponed medical care because of fear of discrimination in health care setting
    
    “Outness”
    
    •   21% are out to no medical provider
      
    •   28% are out to all medical providers
      
    •   18% are out to most medical providers
      
    •   33% are out to some or a few medical providers
      
      Hormones and surgery
      
    •   62% have had hormone therapy; 23% hope to have hormones in the future
      
    •   15% don’t intend to use hormones
      
    •   43% of FTMs have had chest surgery; 50% want it someday
      
    •   1‐3% of FTMs have had genital surgery; 27‐53% want it someday
      
    •   23% of MTFs have had vaginoplasty; 64% want it someday Identification  Only 21% have been able to update all of their identification with their new gender
        One‐third (33%) had updated none of their IDs/records