About the Central Texas Transgender Health Coalition
Our Vision
We envision a world where all transgender and gender non-binary persons are treated with dignity and respect, and receive quality and well-informed healthcare.
Why is This Important
We believe that the transgender and gender non-binary community should feel comfortable speaking to their healthcare providers. In turn, healthcare providers need training to serve these patients with compassion, understanding, and clinical expertise.
In September 2017 we will be hosting an educational conference for health providers in Central Texas to promote transgender competence and awareness. This conference will offer training in best practices of care to meet the unique needs of Texas’s sizable transgender population. According to a 2016 analysis by the Williams Institute, approximately 125,350 people in the state of Texas identify as transgender. This figure represents 0.66% of the population of the state, ranking Texas 5th in the nation for prevalence of transgender residents.
Transgender Healthcare Discrimination and Health Outcomes
- 16% were refused medical care due to their gender identity/expression
- 1.9% were HIV positive, compared to the general population rate of 0.6%
- 19% postponed needed medical care, when they were sick or injured, due to discrimination
- Only 43% of respondents had employer-based health insurance, compared to 59% of the general U.S. population at the time of the survey
- 41% reported attempting suicide at some point in their life, 26 times the rate of the general population
- Additionally, transgender people face discrimination and barriers in all other domains of life as well, including the workplace, schools, housing, and public spaces.