12 | OutBoise Magazine | NEWS
Our Health
OutBoise.com | Issue 5.2 | March 2015
risk of chronic disease.
transgender people are unable
to afford or have no access to
The list of risk factors is a long
supervised therapy. Transgender
one. Topping the list unfortunately related hormone therapy is rarely
is suicide. Second on the list is
covered by insurance compachronic disease related to hornies.
mone therapy. Fourth is Violence.
Fifth is HIV/AIDS related illness.
A flourishing black market in
Sixth is substance abuse. A recent hormones, needles and even
internal CDC (Center of Disease illicit plastic surgery exists. These
Control) memo addresses the
black market means are genneeds and outlines studies that
erally utilized by lower income
need further evaluation. From the transgender people as a way of
memo and its related articles I
obtaining what they feel is a birthwas able to isolate the key points right denied them. It is estimated
of health care for transgender
by the CDC that 23 percent of all
people.
transgender people obtain their
hormones through the black marSuicide; It is estimated by the
ket. The risk of heart disease and
CDC that depression among
stroke increases substantially for
transgender populations as a
transgender people. When street
result of isolation and rejection
hormones are used the uncertain
causes 64 percent of the transquality, strength and purity add to
gender population to attempt
the risk. Hypercoagulability, or a
tendency to form blood clots is a
by Robert Collins suicide. Unfortunately too many
succeed. The answer to this
huge risk with estrogen therapies
problem is unclear in many ways, associated with male to female
Healthcare for the gay, lesbut the first thing that needs to
transition. Hypertension and enbian and bisexual populations is
change is the attitudes within our largement of the heart are associfraught with pitfalls and barriers.
healthcare system. There is much ated with Testosterone treatments
For transgender people the pits
promise in this area.
in female to male transition.
are deeper and the barriers are
higher.
Two major teaching hospitals
The estimated 10 percent
increase in risk is substantial, that
There are many reasons for this in the U.S. are now including
difference. The overall stigma of programs for transgender popu- is on top of Americans already at
lations in their curriculum. Johns
a high risk in the general populahaving any sexual difference is
Hopkins and Vanderbilt hospitals tion. Hormone also increases ina barrier. Transgender identity is
both have promising programs
sulin resistance resulting in a high
perhaps the biggest difference
that pair student physicians with risk of type 2 diabetes. Supervised
one can have. Sexual identity
people seeking transition. Within care is essential to reduce these
is so personal to each of us and
this program there have been
risks
yet for the transgender person
no suicides reported. The acViolence; This is of course one of
it is both personal and public.
ceptance and participation of
the saddest part of the health risk
There is, in the transition a physipositive phys icians seems to be a for transgendered people. Viocal change that is unavoidably
noticeable. This can lead to prob- major factor in the overall mental lence falls into two general cathealth of the transitioning person. egories. Sexually related violence
lems in obtaining health care.
and non-sexual violence. TransThere are also issues related to
Chronic disease; Hormone
gender people are at the highest
the general health of the transirisk level for sexual violence of
tioning person due to stresses on therapy carries with it some
health risks. Supervised therapy
any population in the U.S.
the body caused by the hormonal changes, surgical related is of course desirable so the risks
complications and an increased can be managed better. Many