Medical Injustice against Transgender community

 

Gender has become elementary for multiple health care systems globally and has endangered the position of transgender people. For centuries health services and the medical industry has ignored the group of Trans folks. Instead of formulating new measures to cope with changing social norms, transgender folks are often shoehorned into the corner. Significant lack of knowledge among doctors regarding the medication and health care measures for Transgender people, subsequently refusing to provide treatment outright. The marginalized group is facing a severe medical crisis, and their struggles are going mostly unnoticed According to research by the 'Annals of Emergency Medicine,' most transgender adults admitted to Emergency rooms worldwide reported that doctors and health care members completely lacked competency in the transgender community's issues.

In Michigan, the US, a recent social injustice event faced by trans individual Cameron Whitley manifests the community's discrimination daily. Whitley registered as a man in the hospital suffering from Kidney failure. After some regular check-ups, the doctors refused to transplant Whitley's Kidney as they felt it was a risky operation. Due to their lack of knowledge it might affect the institution's goodwill.

In India, Mahi Solanki, a transgender and HIV positive individual from Noida, contracted a opportunistic infection after the Covid_19. Pandemic also resulted in denial of her Hospital premises entrance and meant she couldn't collect her (ARV) antiretroviral medicines she relies on to keep herself healthy. Ms. Solanki has to manage house rent, food for herself, and ARVs from private clinics from her meager daily wage of 800rs. Financial strictness and discrimination from society and the health sector have made her life difficult and positioned her vulnerable.

Transgender individuals have similar health problems and requirements as the general population but systematic denial of fundamental health rights reinforces their position in society's periphery. However, some transgender individuals require specific care forms regarding gynecology, reproductive care, urologic care, hysterectomy, hormone therapy, or genitalvreconstruction. In 2015, the Center for American Progress conducted a survey, which claimed that 30% of transgender respondents were denied medical health care facilities based on their gender identity. There have been adequate cases whereby individuals have avoided aid from medical institutions for fear of further discrimination. Unusual levels of curiosity witha minimum grade of anatomic knowledge about Transgender bodies have furthered the

social imbalance in the health and medicine sector. In almost all cases registered for medical purposes gender dictates which screening tests one is invited to, implying that transgender women could miss out on abdominal aortic aneurism check-ups ( prostate cancer screening).

Trans people have been subject to discrimination in employment and education, public harassment police abuse, physical, verbal, and sexual assault. Due to a lack of jobs and alarming social injustice, trans people often avoid medical health care because they can't afford it.

Gender Role

The gender of a person is crucial for other medical decisions as well. The dose of the

prescribed drug depends entirely on gender. Trans Male and Trans Female bodies are

fundamentally different. Male bodies have more water in their body, a higher body mass, and

a higher surface area. These factors influence the way pharmaceuticals behave. Female

bodies have more sites for certain drugs to bind to, and therefore they are more sensitive to

them. They clear out slowly, and thus they are more susceptible to overdoses. Specific

treatment and care for the community if often overlooked. In the previous, more than 250

cases were registered in Australia, where Transgender men were impregnated due to the

unfair treatment that they received. In most parts of the world, the track of this aspect of health is neglected.

Denial and Humiliation

There are about five lakh transgender people in India. Transgender is an umbrella term

in the country used forever person who does not conform to the sex they were born with.

Transgender people have been subject to a lot of violence as well as discrimination. In the

medical sector, doctors and nurses refuse to address their problems and health issues.

Moreover, doctors have sought out to examine transgender patients' genitals for conditions

like fever or headache. Doctors are also observed providing odd schedule timings for

appointments. In Kolkata, a gang-rape victim visited a hospital after the sexual abuse. To her

dismay, the doctor asked, "How can you be raped" instead of providing prescribed post-

exposure prophylaxis.

These schools for discrimination of knowledge are the primary source of Transphobia on

a global level. It is distressing that the National AIDS Control Organization recognizes the

transgender community as a core high-risk HIV group. Transgender people are denied the

human right to choose a Male or Female doctor for treatment.

Covid_19

This year, Donald Trump reversed the law that protected transgender people's non-

discrimination protections regarding health care and medical facilities. This violation of

gender protections acts section 1557 also implies that transgender people who are already

reluctant to seek medical care are likely to avoid Covid_19 testing and treatment. This new

rule also reflects the approach towards the community. Employees of contact tracing units

worldwide have avoided collecting transgender specimens for Corona testing since they

refrain from touching the community's people. This inhumane prejudice against transgender

people has put them in the direst situation, which is extremely vulnerable.

Conclusion

This systematic denial of medical care for the people who belong to the transgender

community further concretes the ideas of Transphobia. However, there has been some legal

recognition; their access to quality medical facilities is alarmingly scarce. There have hardly

been any global or national level anti-discrimination laws to safeguard equality in health care

facilities. In India, 'The Transgender Persons Bill' 2016 offers a certain sense of hope as it

prohibits discrimination and unfair treatment for this community. The Ministry

of social justice and empowerment policy prohibits injustice and prejudice against transgender

people in the health care department. Medical insurance schemes and sexual reassignment

surgery are some of the salient features of the bill. Such steps will be stepping stones in our

egalitarian goal of equality and social justice. In the times to come, I am convinced that there

will be a significant revamp in the health care and medical sector's approach towards

transgender people.