Injustice to transsexual women in a hetero-normative healthcare system
Journal Article
2014
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Journal Title
African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
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Publisher
AOSIS OpenJournals
Publisher
University of Cape Town
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Faculty
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Abstract
Background: Transsexual women who are on the journey of sexual re-alignment will experience
various health problems. These problems are related directly to the treatment regime that they
are following in order to attain and maintain their physical embodiment as a woman. They
are forced to negotiate a hetero-normative healthcare system in order to receive assistance and care for their health problems related to their sexual re-alignment process.
Aim: The questions posed were: What are the unique health problems that transsexual women
experience whilst on the journey of sexual re-alignment? What is the current context of the
South African healthcare system in which transsexual women should negotiate healthcare?
These questions were asked in order to explore the health problems with which transsexual
women are faced and to describe the hetero-normative healthcare system in South Africa.
Method: An electronic literature search was executed via the EBSCO host with specific
inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search words that were used were: Transsexual/s and
Health/Healthcare. All studies had to be peer reviewed and published in the English language,
from January 1972 up until February 2013. Literature on transsexual children was excluded.
Results: Transsexual women have the potential to suffer significant side-effects from their sexual re-alignment treatment, including cardio-vascular problems, endocrine problems and mental ill-health. They are also vulnerable to HIV infection. They have poor access to quality holistic healthcare and this may lead an increase in the mortality and morbidity figures of women.
Conclusion: A hetero-normative healthcare system has a negative impact on the health of
transsexual women and will cause them to be marginalised. This could contribute to both homo and trans-phobia that will in turn strengthen the belief that transsexual women are un-African.
Description
Reference:
Newman-Valentine D, Duma S. (2014). Injustice to transsexual women in a hetero-normative healthcare system. African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine, 6(1), Art. #574, 5 pages. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v6i1.574