ABSTRACT
Purpose: Intersectional stigma fuels inequities among transgender women of color, which have been exacerbated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study evaluated a community-led emergency assistance program for transgender women of color. Methods: We conducted a pilot program evaluation (n=8). Results: Retention was 87.5% over the follow-up. Funds were primarily used for bills, food, and housing. Requesting and receiving funds was described as "somewhat to extremely easy." Participants identified the need for economic empowerment components in future programming, specifically gender affirmation, skill-building for education and employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities. Conclusion: Findings highlight the need to invest in community-led strategies to address inequities experienced by transgender women of color.
ABSTRACT
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth are disproportionately affected by HIV, and young transgender women (YTW) are especially impacted. The purpose of this small demonstration project was to measure pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) adherence in a community-based clinic for LGBTQ youth in which PrEP services are integrated with gender-affirming care. Of the 50 enrolled participants, 38 had a serum drug assay performed after three or more months and 26% of those had laboratory evidence of highly protective levels of medication. Low adherence highlights the need for culturally tailored follow-up efforts and assistance with the structural barriers to health experienced by LGBTQ youth, especially YTW.
ABSTRACT
Little is known about general pediatricians' experience and knowledge regarding the care of transgender youth. We surveyed N=50 general pediatricians practicing in an integrated Midwest health system. Few respondents had participated in medical management care for transgender patients, but one-third were willing to do so if training opportunities were made available. Notably, <60% of respondents were comfortable providing routine care for transgender youth. At a minimum, pediatricians need the training to feel capable of providing routine care for transgender pediatric patients. In addition, opportunities for training should be offered to those who are willing to learn about medical management of transgender youth.
ABSTRACT
This review provides an update on the growing body of research related to the mental health of transgender youth that has emerged since the 2011 publication of the Institute of Medicine report on the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The databases PubMed and Ovid Medline were searched for studies that were published from January 2011 to March 2016 in English. The following search terms were used: transgender, gender nonconforming, gender minority, gender queer, and gender dysphoria. Age limits included the terms youth, child, children, teenager*, and adolescen*. The combined search produced 654 articles of potential relevance. The resulting abstracts went through a tiered elimination system, and the remaining 15 articles, which presented quantitative data related to the prevalence of transgender youth and their mental health, were included in the present review. In addition to providing new estimates of the number of young people who identify as transgender (.17%-1.3%), studies since 2011 have shown that transgender youth have higher rates of depression, suicidality and self-harm, and eating disorders when compared with their peers. Gender-affirming medical therapy and supported social transition in childhood have been shown to correlate with improved psychological functioning for gender-variant children and adolescents. Recent research has demonstrated increased rates of psychiatric morbidity among transgender youth compared to their peers. Future work is needed to understand those youth who identify as gender nonbinary, improve methods to capture and understand diverse gender identities and related health disparities, and delineate the social determinants of such disparities.
