Assessment of Health Conditions and Health Service Use Among Transgender Patients in Canada | Health Disparities | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

Assessment of Health Conditions and Health Service Use Among Transgender Patients in Canada | Health Disparities | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

Transgender individuals are likelier to have chronic conditions

Transgender individuals are likelier to have chronic health conditions compared to cisgender individuals, according to a new study, which compared data from more than 2,000 trans people with nearly 10,500 cisgender individuals in three cities in Ontario, Canada: 

• Health conditions: Nearly 1 in 4 transgender individuals experienced asthma compared to 1 in 5 cisgender peers. Trans people were also likelier to have diabetes, HIV, COPD, or multiple chronic conditions. 
• Health services: Trans individuals were likelier to use the health care system than cis peers, particularly for mental health. Between 2012-2016, trans people had more than eight times the number of psychiatric visits as cisgender individuals. 
• The implications: Trans people face higher rates of discrimination and stigma, which could explain some of the findings. The findings also point to the need for clinics to more regularly collect gender identity so physicians can be better attuned to issues that may affect trans individuals, the authors write.