Primary Submission Category: LGBTQ+
The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare access for gender diverse adults: A Qualitative study
Authors: Ellesse-Roselee Akre, Saniya Sahasrabudhe,
Presenting Author: Jay Snyder*
Background
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) persons experience unique healthcare needs that are partially addressed through gender-affirming care, which significantly benefit their mental health and overall well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing structural barriers to healthcare access for TGD people as many services were deprioritized despite their importance.
Objective
This study examines changes in access to healthcare and delays in accessing healthcare by TGD populations across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
An online Qualtrics survey was administered to TGD adults (18+) residing in the United States between September 2022 and March 2023. Participants were recruited through social media and snowball sampling methods. The study analysed response to the open ended question, “How did COVID-19 impact your experience accessing health care?” using inductive coding and modified grounded theory to analyse the participants responses (n=87).
Results
Five main themes emerged from the analysis: 1) Shift to telehealth, 2)Availability and access and why those were limited,3)Affordability, 4)Delays in gender-affirming care, and 5)Delays in accessing other healthcare needs. The first two themes were most frequently addressed by participants.
Conclusion
TGD individuals face significant structural barriers in accessing healthcare. These challenges were intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic and extended beyond gender-affirming care. The findings highlight the need to integrate gender-affirming care into broader healthcare systems rather than treating it in isolation, ensuring comprehensive and accessible healthcare for TGD populations.