The Stories Untold – Third Genders Navigating the Health Care System

ABSTRACT

Background: The third genders are said to be the vulnerable and most marginalized group in the society and their health care needs should be addressed with priority, since they are under high pressure of social stigmatization. This paper is based on the discussion the researcher had with the transgender community on their access of health care system and how they define health in their own terms and experiences. Aims & Objective: To find the issues they face while navigating through the health care system. Their expectations from the health care system and their opinion on the current scenario is also reflected in the study. Material & Methods: This is a qualitative study using focus group discussion as the method adopted for collecting the data. Three focus group discussions were carried out with 8 respondents each. Hence the total number of respondents for the case study was 24 in number. Their collective opinion is also reviewed. Result and conclusion: The experience of the transgender community is appalling that they are not satisfied with the health care facilities provided. Preference should be given to them because the physical agony along with mental stress and stigma from the society is such a pathetic situation.