Report shows health discrimination against transgendered

Posted by on January 04, 2010

Report shows health discrimination against transgendered

A new survey from Public Health Management Corporation that of 127 transgender participants surveyed, almost one in five report unequal treatment or service within a doctor’s office or hospital, and 14% report verbal harassment or disrespect while there.

“For the first time in about a dozen years, we have an assessment of the needs of transgender and gender variant individuals in Philadelphia,” says Gloria Casarez, director of Mayor Nutter’s Office of LGBT Affairs.  “It shows us that there is still a lot of work to be done throughout various sectors. The report affirms the need for inclusive policies, the need for additional data collection, and highlights key areas of concern for this population of people.”

In collaboration with Transgender Health Working Group, PHMC research associate Lee Carson surveyed transgender participants at various community organizations about their experiences with medical health conditions, mental health conditions, health discrimination and health providers, as well as discrimination with law enforcement and obtaining employment. The study was funded by Pennsylvania Department of Health.

According to the study’s results, close to 30% of the participants were uninsured 56% stated that they faced depression and a high number reported substance abuse problems. However, getting care for behavioral issues has proved difficult for a transgender person. The study showed that 17% of participants reported harassment in a mental or behavioral health program.

To read more, visit:

http://phmc.org/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=394%3Anew-report-shows-health-discrimination-disparities-in-philadelphias-transgender-community&catid=45%3A2009&Itemid=1573