Transgender patients' experiences of health care.

BACKGROUND:Transgender individuals can have complex health needs, in both trans and non-trans related health, experiencing higher levels of discrimination and disadvantages in accessing health care. The health needs of the transgender community are not consistent with the wider population, so individuals are often required to research services to meet their needs which can contribute to a reluctance in accessing health care. AIM:To analyse existing literature on transgender patients experiences of health care. METHOD:A search was performed of online databases (CINAHL, Medline, AMED, PubMed, ASSIA, PsychINFO, Web of Science and Scopus) and six studies were reviewed and analysed. FINDINGS:Three main themes emerged: health professionals' knowledge and attitudes, navigating the system, and vulnerability and avoidance of health care. CONCLUSION:The literature suggests that few encounters with health professionals were positive and that a lack of healthcare knowledge on trans-related issues and discrimination were the leading causes for dissatisfaction when accessing health services.