Transgender people more likely than cisgender people to avoid health care due to cost

Healthcare access
Transgender nonbinary people were more likely to have avoided care due to cost compared to transgender women and men.Only 56% of transgender people overall had a transgender-related health care provider. Fewer nonbinary people accessed transgender-related health care.Of transgender participants, 82% said they would like to access an LGBT or transgender-specific clinic or provider. But 64% of transgender people had not been to an LGBT or transgender-specific clinic or provider over the five-year period prior to the interview.Nonbinary transgender people were less likely to have been to an LGBT or transgender-specific clinic or provider over the five-year period than transgender men or transgender women.

Health outcomes
Transgender people had more poor physical health days per month (8 days) than cisgender people (4 days).Transgender people experienced greater numbers of poor mental health days per month (15 days) compared to cisgender people (6 days).Transgender people were more likely to report having HIV, other sexually transmitted infections, emphysema, ulcers, liver disease, and sleep disorders than cisgender people.

Cardiovascular conditions
The study found no differences between cisgender and transgender participants in cardiovascular disease overall. But transgender women were at more than three times greater risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared to cisgender women.There was little difference between cisgender and transgender people in having ever smoked tobacco cigarettes, but a greater proportion of transgender people were current smokers.Transgender people had greater odds of everyday discrimination, psychological distress, and adverse childhood experiences.Among transgender individuals, exposure to adverse childhood experiences and psychological distress were associated with increased odds of smoking, a risk for many adverse health conditions.“Our findings add to a growing body of research examining the cumulative burden of minority stress and discrimination on a person's mental and physical state. Stress is a driver of chronic inflammation, which elevates the risk for cardiovascular disease," said study author Tonia Poteat, Associate Professor of Social Medicine at the University of North Carolina. “Additional research on the pathways by which psychosocial factors affect cardiovascular health in transgender people is needed."

“Our study found that both transgender and cisgender people were equally likely to have a personal health care provider and a place to go for health care, and, in contrast to previous studies, feel satisfied by the health care they received," said study author Jamie L. Feldman, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. “However, improved training and policies will ensure access for transgender people to knowledgeable health care providers."