The Struggle for Care: Insights into the Barriers to Transgender Healthcare in West Bengal, India

Ankita Chakrabarti, SIGMA Foundation

Quantitatively and qualitatively, gender minority groups are excluded from the socio-economic and political processes because of the identity that attributed to them their unique features and legitimised their exclusion from the ‘mainstream’. They are torn between the worlds of ‘fitting’ their own bodily experiences and ‘belonging’ to a culture that has societal expectations of gendered bodies. The manifestations of their minority identity are well reflected while accessing public services like health. This paper aims to study contextual determinants (barriers/facilitators) associated with access to healthcare and also sheds light on the nature of communication between the healthcare provider and user. The study employs a mixed method design with 81 trans-feminine participants, where qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys were done simultaneously, answering the research questions within a framework of queer theories. Transgender health users have reported that their mistreatment in healthcare surrounds six fundamental issues-poor communication with caregivers, displays of discomfort, gender insensitivity/harassment, poor quality care, denied/delayed services, and verbal abuse. Multiple levels of stigma and transphobic attitudes of health workers prevent the transgender community from seeking formal health care. Any effort that systematically marginalises a particular group based on gender/sexuality is inimical to the goals of public health.

Keywords: Mixed methods research, Health and Morbidity, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Gender Dynamics

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