Exploring the complexities and challenges of healthcare access for transgender people in Minas Gerais state: a qualitative study a decade following the implementation of the transsexualization process in the Brazilian National Health System.

OBJECTIVE

This article explores the complexities and challenges of healthcare access for transgender people in Minas Gerais.

METHODS

: This study is based on a subsample from the Manas Survey, comprised of 15 semi-structured interviews with transgender people, conducted between May 2018 and May 2020, analyzed using the content analysis method and organized into a thematic network.

RESULTS

: The results highlight the need for adequate structures, specific training for healthcare professionals, the influence of support networks and challenges in mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

: Despite advances in transgender health policies, access barriers persist, underscoring the importance of training strategies, accurate record-keeping and the expansion of specialized services and the role of primary health care. The study makes progress by including the perceptions from residents of small and medium-sized cities across different regions of the state, aiming to improve access and care for the transgender population via the Brazilian National Health System in Minas Gerais.

MAIN

RESULTS

The findings underscore the need for adequate structures, specific training for healthcare professionals, the influence of support networks and challenges in mental health, in addition to including the perceptions of residents from small and medium-sized cities.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICES: Improving the use of social name and gender identity in records. There is a need for training healthcare professionals in gender identity, expanding transgender-specific services and the role of primary health care (PHC) in this topic.

PERSPECTIVES: Expansion of specialized services and the role of PHC for this population, in order to improve access and care for the transgender population via the Brazilian National Health System in Minas Gerais state.