Discrimination may trigger risky health behaviors by transgender Americans, a new study suggests.
Transgender adults who deal with more discrimination are more likely to smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol and drugs, and attempt suicide, the study revealed.
The study wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between discrimination and risky health behaviors among transgender people, but it was able to show an association between these factors.
The study authors found that transgender adults who are more frequently identified as transgender by others are more likely to experience daily and major discrimination.
Transgender women faced more discrimination than transgender men, the study found. And transgender people in certain disadvantaged groups — such as those who are multiracial and have low incomes — experienced more discrimination than those in more advantaged groups.
Population of focus: Transgender adults
Links to resource:
- Full-text of study (pdf)
- News article on BlackAIDS.org
Date: 2015
Journal: Sociological Forum