Trans community faces diverse transgender health issues
While there have been many discussions on the health issues of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, queers, there are not as many for transgender health issues.
For example, the trans community experience rampant discrimination against them such that their health is affected. Society has wrapped its head around same-sex marriage, but not when a woman becomes a man and vice versa.
As a consequence, transgender health is put at risk as some people think this is the consequence of their transgender actions.
Transgender health issues and their risks
There are about 25 million transgender people all over the world. This count continues to rise, especially after the milestone year of 2015 when the transgender rights were first fully recognized.
Still, the transgender people faces the biggest discrimination in the LGBT community, particularly when it comes to healthcare.
There are huge risks when a transgender person is transitioning to another sex as these involves surgeries, hormone therapy, and chemical injections.
Because of this, they are prone to illnesses such as cancer. For example, transmen still have their uterus, ovaries, and breasts.
Hormone therapy can damage the liver while estrogen and androgen can disturb the blood pressure. Meanwhile, blood sugar changes can cause other instabilities in the body.
Mentally, transgender people have more tendency to seek substance and drug escape and are disposed to depression and anxiety.
Transgender health issues and discrimination
Another health risk transgender people put themselves into is the silicones they inject in their bodies on their own.
These silicones could dislodge inside them if not administered by a doctor or if the quality of the material might be questionable.
A lot from the transgender community do this because of the rampant discrimination they face when seeking medical help.
For some, they fear the rejection they might receive if they go to a doctor to transition. Others had been turned away by medical practitioners. In some cases, the treatments for transgender is inadequate.
In a 2015 survey of female to male transgender, 42 percent responded that they have received verbal abuse, physical violence, and were deliberately rejected to receive healthcare.
“I can speak from my own experience that one of the most challenging parts of my coming out process has been access to health care,”” Alex Abramovich described in the discrimination he suffered.
The 36-year old transgender man from Toronto felt shame, anger, and a feeling that he is invisible. One doctor wouldn’t look at him in the eye as if she was appalled by him.
Transgender health issues and lack of specialists
On the other hand, some healthcare providers turn down transgender patients simply because of lack of training. So much of the doctors and nurses are not equipped to handle the concerns of a transgender person.
Because of the high risks transgender people experience in their transition, there are not enough doctors who specialize in understanding this.
That’s why not only are some transgender patients being turned down, the medical care they need are also not being met.
Though transgender people have been globally recognized two years ago, they still have a lot to go through to overcome the judgments against them.