Transgender Health-A New Horizon in Equity and Health Care

At a Glance

In Wisconsin, Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming (TNG) people face significant barriers to accessing knowledgeable, quality healthcare, contributing to health inequities that include higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality.

This project sought to improve both the physical and mental health of Wisconsin’s TNG populations by improving access to healthcare through the creation of a provider directory that links TNG patients to knowledgeable, inclusive healthcare providers.

The Challenge

Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming (TNG) people make up a significant percentage of the state’s population. In Wisconsin, as many as 60,000 people may identify as a gender different from their sex assigned at birth. TNG people in Wisconsin face significant barriers to accessing high-quality healthcare. Individuals report that they are not comfortable discussing their health care needs with their provider. Many lack professional support navigating the healthcare system. Most strikingly, many report that finding a knowledgeable provider is a barrier to accessing care. These barriers to care contribute to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality among TNG communities.

Project Goals

The goal of this project was to improve the health and well-being of TNG people in Wisconsin by increasing access to knowledgeable mental and physical health providers. The project team worked toward three main objectives to achieve this goal:

• Create a searchable database of knowledgeable Wisconsin clinicians to help TNG people in finding competent healthcare providers close to them.
• Create a sustainable network of Wisconsin providers competent in TNG health so that they can assist each other in providing high-quality care and advocating for their patients.
• Build capacity by creating a structure for training additional providers about the unique health and health care issues faced by TNG people.

Results

The project team utilized resource development, network and capacity building, and training to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for TNG people in Wisconsin. Working with community partners, the team built an online database of competent medical, mental health and complementary health providers, connected those provider-advocates in a sustainable knowledge-sharing network, and built organizational capacity to conduct provider trainings around the state of Wisconsin.

This project focused specifically on improving the physical and mental health of TNG people by addressing some of the most significant barriers to care. Specifically, this project addressed inequities in access to competent healthcare providers, healthcare provider knowledge, and healthcare avoidance by TNG patients. It was successful in creating an online provider directory that lists any provider who self-identifies as providing inclusive and affirming health services to transgender, nonconforming patients.

By increasing access to healthcare with competent and affirming providers, the project’s efforts will encourage TNG people to access care before a condition becomes an urgent or emergency situation or results in significant morbidity or even mortality, specifically by suicide.

In addition, the project provides trainings to healthcare providers, with a focus on those providers serving youth, multiply marginalized and un- or underinsured TNG people, namely: Planned Parenthood of WI, Public Health of Madison & Dane County, Public Health Department of Milwaukee, and University Health Services (at UW–Madison).

Lasting Impact

The directory and listserv developed through this grant will be sustained for the foreseeable future. The directory has 50 providers with another 50+ being added by volunteers and more submitting weekly. The Listserv has all of the providers in the directory on it, with more than weekly engagement by providers, including technical assistance and resource sharing.