Health Needs of Trans and Gender Diverse Adults in Australia: A Qualitative Analysis of a National Community Survey

Sav Zwickl, Alex Wong, Ingrid Bretherton, Max Rainier, Daria Chetcuti, Jeffrey D. Zajac and Ada S. Cheung
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Sav Zwickl: Trans Medical Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
Alex Wong: Trans Medical Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
Ingrid Bretherton: Trans Medical Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
Max Rainier: Trans Medical Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
Daria Chetcuti: Trans Medical Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
Jeffrey D. Zajac: Trans Medical Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
Ada S. Cheung: Trans Medical Research Group, Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-12

Abstract: There is an increasing demand for trans and gender diverse (TGD) health services worldwide. Given the unique and diverse healthcare needs of the TGD community, best practice TGD health services should be community-led. We aimed to understand the healthcare needs of a broad group of TGD Australians, how health professionals could better support TGD people, and gain an understanding of TGD-related research priorities. An anonymous online survey received 928 eligible responses from TGD Australian adults. This paper focuses on three questions out of that survey that allowed for free-text responses. The data were qualitatively coded, and overarching themes were identified for each question. Better training for healthcare professionals and more accessible transgender healthcare were the most commonly reported healthcare needs of participants. Findings highlight a pressing need for better training for healthcare professionals in transgender healthcare. In order to meet the demand for TGD health services, more gender services are needed, and in time, mainstreaming health services in primary care will likely improve accessibility. Evaluation of training strategies and further research into optimal models of TGD care are needed; however, until further data is available, views of the TGD community should guide research priorities and the TGD health service delivery.

Keywords: transgender persons; gender identity; health services; health services needs and demand; health services for transgender persons (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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