Transgender people’s needs little understood: paper

Prejudice. Harassment. Abuse. Violence. These are some of the issues driving transgender people to the margins of society, Australian researchers have said.

It's there that they experience social isolation, poverty and poor health and wellbeing, explained the lead author of an article published in The Lancet, titled "Transgender people: health at the margins of society".

Associate professor Sam Winter, from Curtin University’s School of Public Health, said transgender people and their needs are little understood by healthcare providers, legislators, policymakers, family members and people in general.

He said healthcare professionals working with transgender people must be trained to provide services that are sensitive to their rights and more responsive to their needs.

Nursing Review sat down with Winter to discuss the stigma-sickness slope transgender people face and what is needed to address the issue.