Gender Identity Disclosure and Healthcare Services Uptake Among Chinese Transgender Individuals in China: Results from a Cross‐Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose

Culture and stigma-relevant issues discourage transgender individuals in China from gender identity disclosure, which may limit their access to comprehensive health care services. This study evaluates how gender identity disclosure to healthcare professionals would facilitate healthcare services in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in nine cities across mainland China from December 2019 to June 2020 among transgender individuals. Participants completed questions covering socio-demographic information, Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus and Sexually Transmitted Infections (HIV/STI) testing habits, sexual risk behaviors, and access to medical and mental health services for the past 3 months.

Results

A total of 277 eligible transgender individuals with a mean age of 29 ± 8 years old completed the survey. Overall, 56.0% (155/277) had disclosed their gender identity to health professionals. 83.9% had ever tested for HIV (with HIV prevalence of 12.9%), 54.2% had tested for STIs, 62.6% had used hormone therapy, and 12.3% had undergone gender-affirming surgery. Multivariable logistic regression showed that participants who had ever disclosed their gender identity to healthcare professionals were more likely to have tested for STIs (aOR = 1.94, 95%CI: 1.12–3.39) and HIV (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI 0.82–3.39), received hormone intervention therapy (aOR = 2.81, 95%CI: 1.56–5.05), and used pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (aOR= 3.51, 95%CI: 1.12–10.97) compared to non-disclosers.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated strong correlations between gender identity disclosure and healthcare services usage among Chinese transgender individuals. Facilitating the gender identity disclosure of transgender individuals to healthcare professionals with caution would be useful for improving their access to care.

Keywords:

• China
• disclosure
• health professionals
• health services
• sexual behaviors
• transgender individuals

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health; National Nature Science Foundation of China; Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad fellowship; CRDF Global; Key Technologies Research and Development Program.