"I teach them. I have no choice": experiences of primary care among transgender people in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Abstract

AIM: This study aims to report primary care experiences among transgender people in Aotearoa New Zealand based on quantitative and qualitative data from a nationwide community-based survey of transgender people. METHODS: Subsamples with a usual general practitioner were employed from the 2018 Counting Ourselves Survey (n=871) and the 2018/19 New Zealand Health Survey to assess inequities between these samples in primary care experiences and barriers. Guided by Andersen's Behavioural Model of healthcare access, we conducted a content analysis on comments from Counting Ourselves participants (n=153) to identify themes about issues of concern for transgender people when accessing primary care. RESULTS: Transgender participants had greater risk of feeling no confidence in their GPs (Mdifference=0.22; Cohen's d=0.39), reporting barriers accessing primary care due to cost (38.4% vs 17.4%; RR=2.21), and transport issues (13.5% vs 3.0%; RR=4.58) compared to the general population. Content analysis uncovered how transgender people's primary care experiences are shaped by healthcare environments, predisposing characteristics, and enabling resources. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate ways to ensure primary care services are inclusive so that all transgender people feel welcome. This requires all primary healthcare professionals to demonstrate core trans-specific cultural safety when providing healthcare to transgender patients.