Looking at Barriers to UK Gender Services for Young People in Racialised Minority Groups

Background
Young trans and gender diverse people of colour report negative experiences of healthcare systems (James et al., 2016) due to discrimination and lack of understanding. Studies have shown that accessing gender healthcare is difficult for this group (TransActual, 2021) which may be due to factors within healthcare as well as cultural barriers.
Aims
This study aimed to foreground young trans and gender diverse people of colour’s experiences of the barriers to accessing gender healthcare and explore the resulting impact of these.
Methodology
Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with six young trans and gender diverse people of colour aged 16-25 years old from within the general UK population. Results were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2018).
Results
Three main themes were generated: discrimination and difference, the development of self: from individual to community, and health.
Conclusions
The findings provide insight into how young trans and gender diverse people of colour experience and navigate barriers to gender healthcare. Difficulties arise due to a combination of healthcare discrimination, professional bias and cultural, social and internal barriers. Implications for this research are discussed, alongside recommendations for future research.