Health Care Utilization, Barriers to Care, and Hormone Usage Among Male-to-Female Transgender Persons in New York City

• DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2007.132035
• Publication Date: 2009-01-16T03:17:13Z
• Authors: Nelson F. Sanchez; John P. Sanchez; Ann Danoff
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; HIV Infections; Health Services Accessibility; Interviews as Topic; 03 medical and health sciences; Risk-Taking; 0302 clinical medicine; 5. Gender equality; Humans; Community Health Services; 10. No inequality; Progesterone; Aged; Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists; Analysis of Variance; Physician-Patient Relations; Insurance, Health; Primary Health Care; Estrogens; Middle Aged; 3. Good health; Female; New York City

Objectives. We investigated health care utilization, barriers to care, and hormone use among male-to-female transgender persons residing in New York City determine whether current is accord with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health goals of Healthy People 2010. Methods. conducted interviews 101 from 3 community centers 2007. Results. Most participants reported having insurance (77%; n = 78) seeing a general practitioner past year (81%; 82). Over 25% perceived cost medical access specialists, paucity transgender-friendly transgender-knowledgeable providers as care. Being under physician's was associated high-risk behavior reduction, including smoking cessation (P .004) obtaining needles licensed physician .002). Male-to-female were more likely obtain therapies < .001). Conclusions. Utilization by their reduction some behaviors, but it does not result adherence standard recommendations individuals.