Contraceptive Beliefs, Needs, and Care Experiences Among Transgender and Nonbinary Young Adults

“Did I Choose a Birth Control Method Yet?”: Health Care and Women’s Contraceptive Decision-Making

“…These study results cannot be generalized to all people seeking contraception in the United States. In particular, while these results reflect the experiences of self-identified women, they cannot speak to the experiences or specific needs of trans and nonbinary people although other scholars have recently begun to do so (Gomez et al, 2020; Forsberg & Eliason, 2020). The patient experiences we do highlight provide important and nuanced insights into the contexts in which decisions are made and the effects of health care structures.…”

“…All participants self-identified as women and their ages ranged from 16 to 44 years, with an average age of 30 years. Although not specifically captured in the study sample, the findings have relevance for some transgender and nonbinary people as well (Gomez et al, 2020; Forsberg & Eliason, 2020).…”

“Making a Way Out of No Way:” Understanding the Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Experiences of Transmasculine Young Adults of Color in the United States

“…Other barriers include pervasive gender identity-related discrimination at the structural (e.g., laws, policies, norms, and practices) and interpersonal (e.g., patient-provider communication) level in the health care system, including health insurance, as well as in society more generally (Agénor et al, 2021; Gonzales & Henning-Smith, 2017; James et al, 2016; Lombardi, 2001; Reisner & Murchison, 2016; Rollston, 2019; Stephenson et al, 2017; White Hughto et al, 2015). These social, economic, and health care barriers may in turn lead to avoidance of or delayed care, a lack of health care provider recommendation of needed services, and mistrust of health care providers’ recommendations among transmasculine individuals (Agénor et al, 2021; Gonzales & Henning-Smith, 2017; James et al, 2016; Kcomt et al, 2020; Lombardi, 2001; Rollston, 2019)—thus resulting in low levels of HIV and STI testing (Bauer et al, 2012; James et al, 2016; Scheim et al, 2016; Scheim & Travers, 2017), cervical cancer screening (Agénor et al, 2016; Peitzmeier et al, 2014; Rollston, 2019), and contraceptive care (Agénor et al, 2020; Gómez et al, 2020; Cipres et al, 2017; Stark et al, 2019) in this marginalized population.…”

“…Therefore, existing findings on transmasculine individuals’ sexual and reproductive health care experiences may not reflect the unique needs, concerns, and preferences of Black, Latinx, Native, Asian, and other transmasculine people of color, who face specific barriers to sexual and reproductive health services as a result of not only cissexism but also racism (TM Health Justice: LA, 2021; Williams et al, 2019). Further, although young adults are at disproportionately elevated risk of HIV and STIs and unintended pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016), no study of which we are aware has specifically examined sexual health care among transmasculine young adults in particular, and only a few have focused on reproductive health care among transmasculine people in this age group (Agénor et al, 2020; Gómez et al, 2020). Thus, to address these notable gaps in the scientific literature, we designed a qualitative research study exploring Black, Latinx, Native, Asian, and other transmasculine young adults of color’s experiences accessing and utilizing sexual and reproductive health services, including HIV and STI testing, cervical cancer screening, and contraceptive care, using focus group discussions.…”

“It's Being Compassionate, Not Making Assumptions”: Transmasculine and Nonbinary Young Adults' Experiences of “Women's” Health Care Settings

“…For example, a study on the family planning needs of transgender men revealed that 18% of transgender men believed testosterone was a reliable contraceptive, with 6% of participants reporting that their doctor had given them this information (Light, Wang, & Gomez-Lobo, 2017;Light, Wang, Zeymo, & Gomez-Lobo, 2018). In one qualitative study of TNB young adults' experiences of reproductive health care, participants described clinicians' lack of familiarity with the needs of TNB patients, manifesting in harmful assumptions about participants' bodies, sexual partners, and gender identities (Gomez, Ðỗ, Ratliff, Crego, & Hastings, 2020). This lack of knowledge meant clinicians failed to provide high-quality contraceptive care.…”