"We Deserve Care and we Deserve Competent Care": Qualitative Perspectives on Health Care from Transgender Youth in the Southeast United States

Purpose: Transgender populations experience health inequities that underscore the importance of ensuring access to high quality care. We thematically summarize the health care experiences of transgender youth living in the southeast United States to identify potential barriers and facilitators to health care.

Design and methods: Transgender youth recruited from community settings in an urban area of the southeast United States participated in individual interviews (n = 33) and focus groups (n = 9) about protective factors. We conducted a thematic analysis of data from 42 participants who described their experiences seeking and receiving health care.

Results: Participants reported a wide range of gender identities. The individual interview sample was majority Black (54.5%) and the mean age was 21.7 years and focus group participants were all white and the mean age was 16.8 years. Participants described numerous barriers to health care, including limited availability of gender affirming care, logistical challenges, such as gatekeeping and cost, concerns about confidentiality in relation to sexual behavior and gender identity, and inadequate cultural competency among providers regarding gender-affirming care. Facilitators included intake procedures collecting chosen pronouns and names and consistent use of them by providers, and open communication, including active listening.

Conclusions: Findings underscore the need for a multi-component approach to ensure both transgender- and youth-friendly care.

Practice implications: Providers and office staff may benefit from transgender cultural competency trainings. In addition, clinic protocols relating to confidentiality and chosen name and pronoun use may help facilitate access to and receipt of quality care.