The COVID-19 pandemic has placed access to healthcare at the forefront of the national conversation. Now, more than ever, it is visible how difficult it is for certain marginalized identities to access the safe medical care necessary during a pandemic.
Transgender people specifically may be especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. A study from the National Center for Transgender Equality found that transgender people have higher rates of chronic conditions, like asthma and chronic pulmonary disease than cisgender people (people who identify with their sex assigned at birth). Both of these conditions can put trans people at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and having more negative health outcomes related to the virus. The intense stress and trauma that trans people face from discrimination may make their immune systems more susceptible to these chronic illnesses, and therefore more susceptible to COVID-19.
Discrimination in Health Care
In addition to negative health outcomes, trans people may face discrimination and stigma from healthcare providers when seeking medical care, which may make people reluctant to seek treatment for COVID-19 symptoms. A 2017 poll from NPR found that 22% of transgender Americans have avoided seeking medical care due to fear of discrimination from their provider. Other studies have shown that roughly 19% of trans people have been refused care because of their gender identity. While discrimination in medical care is illegal, new laws could also roll back previous protections against discrimination against trans people in health care settings, further increasing the risk of discrimination in health care.These new rollbacks, coupled with already-existing discrimination create barriers for transgender people to access safe medical care, which could potentially be life-threatening during a pandemic.
Pauses on Important Medical Procedures
Many trans people face discrimination in medical care, despite it being essential for their survival. While COVID-19 presents its own set of health risks, the spread of the pandemic may prevent trans people from accessing life-changing services in hospitals. In certain states including New York, certain “elective procedures” such as gender-affirming procedures for transgender people have been canceled, but for many, these procedures are essential.
In an interview with CBS News, Amita Swadhin, the founder of the nonprofit Mirror Memoirs stated that these surgeries can be a matter of “life and death”, and trans people may face suicidal ideation as a result of gender dysphoria. According to Swadhin, these surgeries allow people to be in alignment physically with who they truly are. The pause on “elective” surgeries during COVID-19 in certain states may disproportionately impact the transgender community, for whom these surgeries can drastically impact mental and physical health.
Important Resources
The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund has created a comprehensive guide to assist trans people with navigating being trans during this pandemic, including information about housing, accessing medical care and legal information regarding discrimination. Internationally, the organization Transgender Europe has also published a guide on how trans people can create “solidarity plans” to ensure that themselves and others in their community have access to safety and adequate healthcare. The National Center for Transgender Equality has also created a resource regarding having a gender-affirming surgery being postponed.
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