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Trans people do better when they have support, a study finds.
The results reenforce what trans people already knew.
The largest-ever survey of transgender adults in the United States confirms what trans people have long known: support, especially from family, can be a matter of life and death.
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Released Wednesday by the Advocates for Trans Equality Education Fund, the report draws on responses from more than 84,000 trans adults nationwide and presents a complex but cautiously hopeful portrait of health and access to care. It finds that transgender people are significantly more likely to report good health when they have supportive families and the ability to live in alignment with their gender identity. Those who experienced family rejection, by contrast, reported far higher rates of suicidal ideation and attempts.
Related: LGBTQ+ adults agree — Americans don't accept transgender people
“This report tells us that, for the most part, trans people are happy, healthy, and getting the care they need, especially when they can live out their lives freely,” said Ankit Rastogi, A4TE’s director of research. “Attacks aimed at removing trans people from public life and limiting trans people’s access to health care threaten to halt this progress.”
The report, “Health and Wellbeing: Findings from the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey,” is the third installment of a series analyzing data from the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey. It provides one of the most detailed statistical insights into transgender people’s lives in the United States at a moment when health care access for the community is increasingly politicized.
Related: Department of Health and Human Services deletes mental health report on Utah's transgender children
Compared to the 2015 version of the survey, the new data suggest improved experiences in clinical settings. Trust in providers appears to be increasing: 50 percent of respondents in 2022 said all of their health care providers knew they were transgender, up from 40 percent in 2015. Nearly three in four respondents—73 percent—who disclosed their transgender status to a provider said they were treated with respect by at least one provider, an increase from 62 percent in the previous survey.
Still, structural barriers remain. Although 88 percent of respondents said they wanted gender-affirming hormone therapy, only 56 percent reported receiving it. Other access measures showed progress: 57 percent reported having a dedicated provider for transition-related care, up from 44 percent in 2015. Denial rates for gender-confirmation surgeries fell sharply, from 55 percent in 2015 to 20 percent in 2022.
Related: Department of Health and Human Services deletes mental health report on Utah's transgender children
Despite these gains, health disparities between trans adults and the general U.S. population remain pronounced. Just 66 percent of trans respondents rated their health as “excellent,” “very good,” or “good,” compared to 81 percent of the general population. Insurance coverage was also lower among trans adults—87 percent versus 92 percent—and younger respondents reported worse health than older ones. While 78 percent of trans adults age 65 and older said their health was good or better, only 60 percent of those ages 18 to 24 said the same.
“Good health is the foundation that allows everyone to thrive,” said Andy Marra, CEO of A4TE. “It is unconscionable that access to health care is now on the chopping block for millions of vulnerable Americans, including tens of thousands of trans people.”
