The Road to Trans-Inclusive Health Care: Policy Implications and the Critical Role of Social Work

The umbrella term “transgender” broadly refers to those who identify with, express, or exhibit behavior consistent with a gender that differs from that which was assigned at birth. Despite the gains made for the transgender community in the United States, there are significant, persisting issues that the community faces. First, trans-identified individuals are significantly more likely to have a mental illness during their lifetime when compared with their cisgender counterparts, with 40 percent of transgender individuals attempting suicide during their lifetime (Grant et al., 2011). The community also experiences higher rates of substance use disorders, with a quarter of trans people reporting abusing alcohol or drugs directly as a result of the discrimination they experience for being transgender (Grant et al., 2011). In addition, transgender people are disproportionately at risk for many physical health problems.