Health‐Related Experiences of Transgender and Gender‐Diverse Coloradans: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Abstract

BackgroundExtant literature on transgender and gender‐diverse (TGD) people living in the United States is centered on bicoastal metropolitan cities. Little is known about the health status and health‐related barriers among TGD people living in the middle of the country. Minority Stress Theory (MST) provides a framework for understanding how TGD people experience stressors that shape their health‐related experiences.PurposeTo describe health‐related experiences of TGD people living in Colorado using the MST framework.MethodThe scoping review was limited to peer‐reviewed, English‐language studies published between January 2018 and November 2023. Data abstraction and synthesis were performed using Thomas and Harden's approach to thematic synthesis.ResultsTwenty‐one articles were included in the review. Seventeen (80.9%) articles were quantitative studies, two (9.5%) were qualitative, and two (9.5%) were mixed methods. Most of the participants were transfeminine and 18 years old or younger. Three themes emerged (1) TGD Coloradans experience multiple health‐related stressors, (2) these stressors contribute to poor health outcomes, and (3) overcome with coping strategies and/or social support.ConclusionTGD Coloradans experience multiple stressors related to their TGD identity that shape their health‐related experiences. Nurses play a critical role in intervening in these stressors and addressing care disparities.