Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Patient Experience in the Inland Empire, California

Abstract

Analyzing secondary data from a 2015 survey of 90 transgender and gender nonconforming individuals in California's Inland Empire, this study reports frequencies of physical and mental health and health care access and discrimination outcomes and differences by age, race/ethnicity, and sex assigned at birth. Nearly three-quarters of respondents reported positive physical health, yet only about half reported positive mental health - an outcome poorer for respondents <50 years. Lesser than 50% found it very easy to find providers for routine care and only 16% found it very easy to find a transgender-competent provider, underscoring the need for more health professional training.