Transgender and non-binary Canadians are struggling to have their health care needs met, according to a new Western University-led survey.
The Canada-wide questionnaire found nearly half (45 per cent) of transgender and non-binary Canadians surveyed felt their medical needs were not met over the last year. That is despite 81 per cent of them having a primary health care provider. Despite being in need of medical attention, 12 per cent also stated they avoided going to the emergency room.
Researchers note the findings are concerning as they point to barriers such as discrimination surrounding transgender and non-binary individuals in the Canadian health care system.
"These results highlight what health services researchers already know, that general availability of health care is only the first step in accessibility,” Greta Bauer, study lead and a professor at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, said in a statement. “Some of our future research will focus on the roles different factors play in accessing health care, for example, physician knowledge or anticipated discrimination."
Of the 3,000 people surveyed, 68 per cent said they had experienced some form of verbal harassment over the past five years. Another 37 per cent indicated they were physically intimidated or threatened. While 73 per cent of respondents indicated being in good, very good or excellent physical health, more than half rated their mental health as fair or poor. One in three said they had considered suicide in the past year.
The survey, believed to be the first to collect all-ages quantitative data on trans and non-binary health, is the first of ten reports expected from the Trans PULSE Canada project this year.
The full findings of the survey can be found by clicking here.
