Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States Midwest
This study sought to understand how transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) individuals skillfully cope with healthcare services and to explore how childhood experiences impact expectations, habits, and meaning-making when utilizing healthcare services. Using an interpretive phenomenological appro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/11485 |
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| author | Katie Heiden-Rootes Dixie Meyer Renata Sledge Bryce K. Davis Theresa Drallmeier Whitney Linsenmeyer Samantha Levine Michelle R. Dalton |
| author_facet | Katie Heiden-Rootes Dixie Meyer Renata Sledge Bryce K. Davis Theresa Drallmeier Whitney Linsenmeyer Samantha Levine Michelle R. Dalton |
| author_sort | Katie Heiden-Rootes |
| collection | DOAJ |
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This study sought to understand how transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) individuals skillfully cope with healthcare services and to explore how childhood experiences impact expectations, habits, and meaning-making when utilizing healthcare services. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, we sampled 17, White TGNB adults in the United States, ages 19 to 57, using semi-structed interviews about childhood experiences with healthcare utilization and adult experiences seeking genderaffirming healthcare. Analysis identified one main theme—Anticipate the worst in healthcare and be pleasantly surprised—and three subthemes: i) contrast between positive childhood and negative adulthood experiences in medical care; ii) coping practices for the worst; and iii) finding your unicorn doctor and medical staff for pleasant experiences. Results indicate participants experienced a disruption and acquisition of new coping practices in healthcare settings and the cultivation of a radical imagination for a more liberated medical world for TGNB people. Implications for providers and medical offices for empowering TGNB adults are described.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b37b299b594f4bba955d66a46becfe0b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2532-2044 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj-art-b37b299b594f4bba955d66a46becfe0b2025-08-20T03:35:58ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare2532-20442023-12-017310.4081/qrmh.2023.11485Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States MidwestKatie Heiden-Rootes0Dixie Meyer1Renata Sledge2Bryce K. Davis3Theresa Drallmeier4Whitney Linsenmeyer5Samantha Levine6Michelle R. Dalton7Department of Family & Community Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Family & Community Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Family & Community Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MissouriClinical Psychology Program, Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Family & Community Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MissouriDoisy College of Health Science, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Family & Community Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MissouriDepartment of Family & Community Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri This study sought to understand how transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) individuals skillfully cope with healthcare services and to explore how childhood experiences impact expectations, habits, and meaning-making when utilizing healthcare services. Using an interpretive phenomenological approach, we sampled 17, White TGNB adults in the United States, ages 19 to 57, using semi-structed interviews about childhood experiences with healthcare utilization and adult experiences seeking genderaffirming healthcare. Analysis identified one main theme—Anticipate the worst in healthcare and be pleasantly surprised—and three subthemes: i) contrast between positive childhood and negative adulthood experiences in medical care; ii) coping practices for the worst; and iii) finding your unicorn doctor and medical staff for pleasant experiences. Results indicate participants experienced a disruption and acquisition of new coping practices in healthcare settings and the cultivation of a radical imagination for a more liberated medical world for TGNB people. Implications for providers and medical offices for empowering TGNB adults are described. https://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/11485Transgendergender-affirming healthcarequalitative researchphenomenologycoping |
| spellingShingle | Katie Heiden-Rootes Dixie Meyer Renata Sledge Bryce K. Davis Theresa Drallmeier Whitney Linsenmeyer Samantha Levine Michelle R. Dalton Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States Midwest Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare Transgender gender-affirming healthcare qualitative research phenomenology coping |
| title | Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States Midwest |
| title_full | Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States Midwest |
| title_fullStr | Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States Midwest |
| title_full_unstemmed | Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States Midwest |
| title_short | Seeking gender-affirming medical care: A phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non-binary adults in the United States Midwest |
| title_sort | seeking gender affirming medical care a phenomenological inquiry on skillful coping with transgender and non binary adults in the united states midwest |
| topic | Transgender gender-affirming healthcare qualitative research phenomenology coping |
| url | https://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/11485 |
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