Utilization of Health Care Among Female-to-Male Transgender Individuals in the United States

• Published in: Journal of homosexuality Vol. 54; no. 3; pp. 243 - 258
• Main Authors: Rachlin, Katherine, Green, Jamison, Lombardi, Emilia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis Group 01-01-2008; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: Access to health care; Adolescent; Adult; Delivery of Health Care - utilization; Female; Female-To-Male; FTM; Gender studies; Health care; Health Services Accessibility; Health services utilization; Hormones; Human Body; Humans; Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data; Male; Medical care; Middle Aged; Physician-Patient Relations; Public health; Questionnaires; Sex; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; testosterone; Testosterone - administration & dosage; Transgender persons; transsexual; Transsexualism - surgery; Transsexuality; U.S.A; United States of America
• ISSN: 0091-8369; 1540-3602
• DOI: 10.1080/00918360801982124

Female-To-Male (FTM) transgender individuals were approached at a conference and several peer support groups in the United States and asked to complete a short questionnaire regarding their medical care. Results from the 122 completed questionnaires indicated that a high number of respondents were taking testosterone (n = 106) and had some gender-confirming surgery (n = 68). Seventy percent of respondents rated their overall quality of health care "good" or "excellent." A surprising finding was the low number (7%) reporting diagnoses of polycystic ovarian syndrome-the incidence of which has been reported elsewhere as high as 50%. Also notable were the high levels of employment, insurance, knowledge of standards of care, and access to providers, contrasting with reports from studies involving predominantly Male-To-Female (MTF) individuals. Finally, FTM's usage of transition-related medical resources can vary, but many within this study are foregoing genital surgery.