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HEALTHCARE DISCRIMINATION AMOUNG TRANSGENDER

Healthcare Discrimination in The Transgender Community

Arianna E. Green

College of Integrative Sciences and Arts: Arizona State University

COM 316: Gender and Communication

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Healthcare discrimination is not an uncommon event people come across in today’s

society, but unfortunately it happens more so often to others than we think. For the transgender

community, they experience the most discrimination in healthcare compared to other individuals

who identify with the LGBTQ+ community (Kcomt, et al., 2021). Transgender can be defined as

anyone who does not identify with their biologically assigned sex, because they align more with

another gender/the opposite sex (Kcomt, et al., 2021). Those who identify as transgender might

not understand why they feel as if they do not feel like their assigned biological sex until much

later in life; in some individuals they might know they are transgender much earlier in life

although. Those in the transgender community tend to have inadequate healthcare insurance, or

in some cases no insurance, are also more likely to sufferer from gender dysphoria as well. With

having little to no insurance because of the anticipation of being discriminate against, those in

the transgender community especially are at higher risks of anxiety, depression, and suicidal

thoughts as well (McNeil et al., 2017). Aforementioned, healthcare discrimination can happen to

anyone, but it happens to those in the transgender community, and those in the community that

are people of color, and those who have little to no health insurance as well in the trans

community.

Within the last ten years, there has been countless studies as to why and how so many

who are transgender are discriminated or denied help within the healthcare system. To fully

understand what those who are in the transgender community are not receiving during their

annual visits, or even gaining from their visits if they are starting the use of testosterone or

progesterone and estrogen, what is healthcare and what is the outcome supposed to be like?

Healthcare as a whole can be defined as efforts being made to help maintain, or in some cases

reimpose mental, and physical health by licensed professionals, in a timely manner with the most
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efficient outcome. “Transgender men were twice as likely as transgender women to postpone

needed healthcare due to anticipated discrimination,” (Kcomt, et al., 2020). Although it is known

that licensed healthcare professionals are supposed to put their stigmas aside and help their

patient with what they need or are looking for, most healthcare professionals do not and continue

to not put their stigma’s aside when it comes to treating transgender patients. Based off that

alone, it is easy to see how one’s stigma, and one’s opinion on their patient can and does

completely change how they are being treated by a licensed physician, and sometimes then not

treated at all. Not only do those in the transgender community not receive the care they are

looking for when they go into a healthcare facility, but they are also most commonly the ones

who get verbally abused, and in worse cases, they are sexually assaulted and manipulated as well

(Kcomt, et al., 2021). Seeing that those in the transgender community are highly more likely to

be discriminated against in a healthcare facility, it aligns with the fact that the fact that the

suicide rates within the tans community is greatly higher than those who are not within the

community (McNeil et al., 2017). With looking at how those of the transgender community are

being continually discriminated in the healthcare field, we can only ask why it is happening. In

some circumstances, those of the trans community either do not have the adequate health

insurance to cover their hormones or surgeries (if they decide to proceed with that route), which

leads those individuals trying other options to cope with the gender dysphoria they might be

experiencing (Warner & Mehta, 2021). The other possible ‘at home’ strategies these individuals

might turn to cause healthcare professionals to judge those in the transgender community, even if

they are coming to healthcare professionals for help because they do not know what they should

do.
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People of color in the transgender community also experience much more discrimination

in a healthcare setting, than those who are white and transgender; it is also noted by da Silva in

her journal, that immigrants, or those who are African American, living in the United States, and

are transgender, are far more less likely to have access to healthcare than a cisgender, or even a

person who is transgender and white (da Silva, 2020). Although having adequate healthcare

cannot guarantee in any means that one will not be discriminated, it still gives the chance for a

lower discrimination rate. “Transgender people of color experience significantly higher levels of

transphobic discrimination compared to their White counterparts in accessing health services,”

(Kcomt et al., 2020). According to a survey based on healthcare discrimination on people of

color in the transgender community, 100% of those individuals stated that at one point in time

they have felt that they were being discriminated against, and not receiving adequate care (da

Silva, 2020).

Having the right health insurance while being a part of the transgender community is a

major part of why most are discriminated. When applying for health insurance, those who state

that they are transgender, or wish to change their gender are usually denied health care or health

insurance. Whether or not one is discriminated while applying for health insurance, or going to a

healthcare facility, also depends on what type of insurance that person has as well; some

insurance policies do not support transgender medical needs/necessities, although that is slowly

changing since 2015 (Bakko & Kattari, 2020). Those who are able to acquire adequate healthcare

though, can still be deemed ‘not fit’ for hormonal therapy, as the insurance company can deem it

not medically necessary, and without insurance it can cost a person more money than one is to

think (Warner & Mehta, 2021). To help those who either do not have insurance, or inadequate
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health insurance coverage, people can inform themselves of their local and state laws, but also

advocate for better and more coverage, as well as a more gender affirming health insurance.

Although healthcare discrimination is a major problem happening in today’s society,

there are still setbacks we deal with as a whole community as to why we are not able to take the

steps forward needed for this to change. When going to a doctor’s appointment in today’s

society, we are told to speak up about how we are feeling, and what we need so we can get the

most sufficient help we need in that moment. Those in the trans community are constantly being

told to just ‘deal with it,’ or simply speak up more towards their doctors to get what they want

and need for the mental and physical health whether it is hormonal therapy, or physical changes

(Warner & Mehta, 2021). Although healthcare professionals are supposed to help everyone,

there are still healthcare professionals that will deny help of service to one that is visual non-

conformity (visibly transgender to others), because it is against what they think (Warner &

Mehta, 2021). Although everyone, even healthcare providers, are entitled to their opinions on

what they think, this is something that also stops the change in healthcare discrimination against

the transgender community. Transgender men, and transgender men of color are also the most

likely to not have adequate health insurance, and in some cases no health insurance due to

discrimination in healthcare.

Healthcare discrimination can happen to anyone at any given time, but it is most

commonly seen among those in the transgender community, and along with people of color in

the transgender community as well. As stated above, having inadequate health insurance is one

of the main causes of healthcare discrimination within this community, but it surely does not end

there. People of color, and transgender men have a notably higher change of being discriminated

against while in a healthcare facility and missing annual or important visits due to forecasted
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discrimination as well. Healthcare discrimination has been an ongoing problem that has gone

unseen for too long, yet there are many things we can do as a community to help decrease the

discrimination rates for those in the transgender community. Healthcare is supposed to be

accessible to all, as well as helping us better ourselves mentally and physically when we need it.

Those who are transitioning while being transgender experience gender dysphoria when they

cannot and are not able to get the healthcare, they need to help them become the best most

healthy versions of themselves. With healthcare discrimination rates being alarmingly high for

those in the transgender community, it decodes the reasoning as to why depression and suicide

rates are drastically higher than those not in the LGBTQ+ community (McNeil et al., 2017).

Healthcare discrimination in the community of transgender peoples needs to be more closely

looked at, along with finding solutions to end this discrimination; in the end we each are entering

health care facilities for similar or aligning reasons, and healthcare providers are the ones who

are supposed to make us feel safe, not terrified.

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References

Bakko, M., & Kattari, S. K. (2020). Transgender-related insurance denials as barriers to

transgender healthcare: Differences in experience by insurance type. Journal of General

Internal Medicine, 35(6), 1693–1700. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-05724-2

da Silva, D. S. (2020). Healthcare experiences of transgender people of color. Journal of

General Internal Medicine, 35(9), 2779–2779. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05618-

Kcomt, L., Gorey, K. M., Barrett, B. J., & McCabe, S. E. (2020). Healthcare avoidance due to

anticipated discrimination among transgender people: A call to create trans-affirmative

environments. SSM - Population Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2020.100608

McNeil, J., Ellis, S. J., & Eccles, F. J. R. (2017). Suicide in trans populations: A systematic

review of prevalence and correlates. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender

Diversity, 4(3), 341–353. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000235

Warner, D. M., & Mehta, A. H. (2021). Identifying and addressing barriers to transgender

healthcare: Where we are and what we need to do about it. Journal of General Internal

Medicine, 36(11), 3559–3561. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-021-07001-2