It is worth noting that the concept of transgenderism implies a state of internal imbalance between the real and desired gender of an individual. This phenomenon has been studied in detail by researchers from different fields of science; however, it has been proved that the rejection of one’s natural sex systematically worsens both the psychological and physiological health of a person and can become a cause of depression due to the fact that internal conflict generates severe psychological discomfort (Shore, 2014).
In this regard, it is crucial to note that, in addition to the complicated health condition, many transgender people encounter a number of obstacles, in particular in the health care system, as they cannot always receive the required help. The purpose of this paper is to review the obstacles that transgender patients face and analyze the way discrimination affects transgender community.
Challenges
It should be stressed that transgender patients face a number of challenges within the healthcare system. In general, the research suggests that in the US, transgender individuals experience a lack of adequate access to care provision and they frequently cannot receive the needed services in the required amount (Shore, 2014).
Moreover, many of transgender individuals do not have health insurance, which directly complicates their access to care provision. Notably, various public and private plans can cover for such patients. Nonetheless, they frequently exclude transition-related services (Feldman & Christensen, 2014). Apart from that, many unconnected medical issues are linked to gender status of a person. Therefore, an individual with a psychological sex different from the physiological one can be deprived of the required measure based on his or her gender.
In addition, another challenge faced by such individuals is the communication with health providers. Despite the fact that a patient might have documentation confirming the sex, care providers might continue addressing the person by his or her physiological gender, which violates the patient’s rights and is a form of harassment (Feldman & Christensen, 2014). Thus, misgendering complicates the process of patient-provider communication and causes disrespectful attitude and discomfort in the patient. Therefore, one of the greatest challenges is the lack of professional education on identity and sensitivity.
Impact of Discrimination on Transgender Community
It can be stated that discrimination from healthcare providers has a negative impact on the transgender community. Individuals have poorer access to the healthcare system, and they cannot receive the required help, which is the violation of the human right to equal access to healthcare services. Thus, the transgender community is further excluded from society and has to deal with health problems on their own. In addition, the community can be harassed during care provision, which results in the unwillingness of people to make regular visits to healthcare institutions and can cause wider spreading of diseases and adverse health conditions in individuals (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2015). In addition, such form of discrimination undermines the psychological well-being of the community.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that despite the efforts made to establish an inclusive healthcare system, the majority of transgender patients do not have proper access to services. In addition, during the process of care, individuals can experience different forms of discrimination, which has a negative impact on the well-being of the transgender community and forms a negative attitude towards care provision. These manifestations result in the reluctance of transgender patients to turn to care providers and influences the welfare of the entire population.
References
Feldman, M., & Christensen, J. (2014). Behavioral medicine (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill Professional.
Ignatavicius, D., & Workman, L. (2015). Medical-surgical nursing. New York, NY: Elsevier.
Shore, W. (2014). Adolescent medicine. New York, NY: Elsevier.