Health and service utilization among a sample of gender-diverse youth of color: the TRUTH study

BMC Public Health

Research

Su Wu¹  Sam Calvetti¹  Michele D. Kipke²  Marco A. Hidalgo³  Bethany C. Bray⁴  Joshua A. Rusow⁵  Meg Quint⁶ 

[1] Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA;Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA;Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA;Gender Health Program, UCLA Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA;Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA;Institute for Health Research and Policy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA;The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA;The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health, Boston, MA, USA;Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Transgender Health Research, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA;

关键词: Mental health;    Nonbinary gender identity;    Sexually transmitted infections;    Substance use;    Transgender;    Youth;    Gender diverse;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12889-022-14585-9

 received in 2022-03-23, accepted in 2022-11-09,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundWhile there is growing research considering the experiences of transgender youth whose identities align with the gender binary, especially among young trans women, there are significantly fewer studies that accurately capture data about nonbinary youth, and even fewer studies capturing the experiences of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth of color. The purpose of this research was to assess the prevalence of sexual health behaviors, mental health challenges, substance use, and healthcare utilization among Black/African American, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, indigenous and multi-racial/ethnic TGD youth, who have been largely underrepresented in research.MethodsA total of 108 TGD youth ages 16–24 were recruited into the Trans Youth of Color Study (TRUTH). Each participant completed a 90-min survey administered by a research assistant with more sensitive information collected using ACASI. In addition to a completing a survey administered by research staff, participants also participated in specimen collection, which included urine sampling to assess recent substance use without a prescription, self-collected rectal/frontal and throat swabs to test for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and a blood draw to test for recent use of drugs, gonorrhea and chlamydia, and syphilis. The sample was recruited at public venues, community outreach and referral, through social media outreach, and via participant referral. Cross-sectional analyses were from a single study visit.ResultsCompared to rates among their cisgender peers, participants reported experiencing adverse social and structural determinants of health—e.g. food insecurity (61%), housing instability (30%), and limited access to healthcare (26% had no place to go for healthcare)—and elevated rates of illicit drug use (19–85%), mental health problems (e.g. 60% self-reported depression), and involvement in sexual risk-related behaviors (e.g. among those reporting penetrative sex 57–67% reported sex without a condom).ConclusionsThis study adds descriptions of both mental and sexual health outcomes of a non-clinical sample of TGD youth to the literature, particularly among young transgender men and gender nonbinary youth, who have frequently been excluded from previous studies of sexual health. The findings document experiences and behaviors among TGD youth that contribute to mental and sexual health concerns, including rates of substance use, and healthcare utilization.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022

【 图 表 】

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