Transgender and gender non-conforming ( TGNC ) individuals consistently face barriers to the provision of competent and compassionate medical care and have been hesitant to seek medical care for fear of discrimination, mistreatment and neglect.
A national study of transgender individuals that the Lesbian and Gay Task Force conducted found that 50 percent of participants' providers have a lack of knowledge regarding transgender healthand that 28 percent of participants reported harassment in medical settings. Furthermore, 19 percent of participants reported their providers or clinics simply refused to offer care. Most studies have reported similar findings but fail to highlight that thousands more of the TGNC population do not have the resources or support to even attempt to access basic primary medical care.
Mistrust of medical providerscombined with criminalization, rampant housing bias, and lifelong employment and education discriminationhave led to widespread health care access issues within the TGNC community. Studies show that in general the community is four times more likely to acquire HIV than the general population and, more specifically, transgender women of color are 49 times more likely to acquire HIV. This is staggering and, quite frankly, unacceptable.
We recognize that these have been long-standing issues for the TGNC community, and that we have been fighting for better care for decades. We also understand that this conversation requires continued input from community members.
Howard Brown Health Center ( HBHC ) will host the fourth of five community town hall meetings Monday, June 9, 6-7:30 p.m., at the Brown Elephant Resale Store, 3651 N. Halsted St. The focus of this meeting will be the health needs of Chicago's trans* community. We welcome the participation of transgender and gender non-conforming people as well as anyone interested in discussing the concerns and health needs of our communities. People are urged to share their perspectives, experiences and expertise in order to continue to amplify our voices regarding our health care needs.
HBHC is hosting the town-hall meeting series as a part of its community needs assessment, conducted every five years to get a better understanding of the LGBTQ community's unique health needs and concerns. The information gathered from the meetings will be used for planning purposes, and will be shared with the larger community. This discussion will be hosted by HBHC CEO David Ernesto Munar, Manager of Transgender Health Taylor Casey and myself.
Blue is HBHC's HRSA SPNS Transgender Women of Color project manager. His team runs a drop-in program at 4025 N. Sheridan Rd. at 6-9 p.m. the first Friday of the month. During this time TGNC adults can access medical care, get tested, receive prescriptions for hormones and participate in discussions with community members. For more information, call 773-299-7604.