Health access for transgender people in Latin America: a scoping review
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Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Publication date: 2023-04-27
Popul. Med. 2023;5(Supplement):A1352
ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: Globally, trans people face barriers in living with society due to cis-heteronormative standards that also interfere with access to healthcare. This study Aims to map and analyze the evidence on access to health services and goods for transgender people in Latin America. Methods: A scoping review is being conducted by searching PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS databases on the health of transgender people in Latin America. The selection of studies occurs in three stages, performed in pairs: reading the title, reading the abstract, and floating the complete text, according to inclusion criteria and without language restrictions. Data extraction is conducted in pairs. Data synthesis and analysis comprise the categorization of the data involving facilitating factors, health needs, and individual health behaviors. The review is guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Scoping Reviews Manual, and the reports follow the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Results: From the 662 articles found in the bases, 97 were included and published between 2007 and 2021. The data analysis is still ongoing. The preliminary Results indicate frequent reports that trans people avoid seeking health services in Latin America. When they seek, they look for trans-specialized services or highly complex care. Self-medication was also evidenced. The main difficulty of access is: services do not address the integral health and the specific needs; poorly implemented, outdated, or absent public policy; health professionals pathologizing trans identities; discrimination, stigma, and negligence; lack of training and knowledge of health professionals; medical authoritarianism and relationship based on the hierarchy of biomedical knowledge; medicalization of trans identities; and lack of public funding. Conclusions: Transgender people face difficulties accessing health in Latin America mainly due to economic barriers, unavailability of public politics and services, individual health behaviors, and disqualified training to meet their trans needs.