Transgender EuroStudy: Legal Survey and Focus on the Transgender Experience of Health Care.

This investigation was made between July and December 2007. Mixed information was elaborated, qualitative and quantitative, about discrimination and inequitative experiences to 1,964 transsexuals and transgenders in health system in Europe (615 Tran’s men and 1,349 Tran’s women). The research includes thirteen countries and were requested the same number of translators for analysis of information.

First interest of this study is determining the number of transsexuals and transgenders. Statistics about this population are very different between each other because there is no agreement about what characteristic use for select Trans persons. For example should be consider only those who receive a hormonal treatment or that had been operated? But in that case those who don’t want any corporal change will be discriminated. This study is especially interested for those who want a sexual resignation because are focus on health services of surgery. Even thought there is no specific numbers it is very sure to say that Trans population has increase in the last years and that will continue like that.

In the legal field, there is a recount of cases of discrimination, change of name, change of sex and pension in Europe, focus on good and bad points. Although of forwards and backwards, European Council has taken very seriously Tran’s problems since 1996 and it had made some contributions to extend legal protection and rights of Tran’s population. Europe is not a homogenous space and it is necessary to spread information about legislation that protects Tran’s persons. It should be guarantee that anybody could follow legal actions in cases in which their human rights are not being respected and for that procedure have to be easy and cheap. Until now there is no demands for abuse or discrimination in Health Services to Trans persons, but we don’t is a common topic that is demonstrated by testimonies of surveys. Another aspect that is very important is people is always mock about Trans and ridicule them. This investigation said that only in two countries, Belgium and Denmark, exist special protection against of hate crimes.

Most important conclusion about this study is that, no matter resources and social status, health services for Tran’s people are very limited. Most of people didn’t receive found from State to hormonal treatment or surgery. Third part of interviewers was denied of help because health specialist refuses to accept their gender resignation. More than a half of population of the survey had to pay their self cost of surgery and treatments after be refuse for State. It is necessary to consider that more than a half of this population earns less than 25,000 Euros per year. It is very significant that their testimonies said there is a rejection to go to Health Services because they know are going to be treats in a bad way from health professionals. Also interviewers mention is very common relate sexual resignation with mental disease, and that produce abusive from doctors and nurses.

“I don’t go to the doctor if it is not really urgent. I don’t see the dentist, I don’t see a gynecologist from decades and if I had an accident, I try to don’t go to the hospital... I think I have fewer experiences because I don’t go there, I practice a king of strategy of evasion”(60). Australian Trans.
This situation is very different in Latin American, there the same as Europe exist a lot of discrimination but here health system is very limited, education is the last matter for all governments and what people could earn minimum is €125 per month (€ 1,500 per year).

This survey was made in a virtual manner and there are some very interesting results. First, 21 years old is the age of transition, it means, age when they stop living in their old identity and assume the other gender. This change was related with a new work or the beginning of working. They thing change is not complete until they finish their medical treatment. But it is very long time after that they feel comfortable in their new role. It is a young community, majority have only five years to get their new identity, that is why they couldn’t able to share their experiences with others. About education, majority finish secondary school and continue some level of superior education (34.7%). 40% is working, and it is little higher the number of feminine Trans that are working from number of masculine Trans. This is a situation absolutely oposite to Latin American where trans women have more difficults to get a job.

Those who have access to health services for treatments said that give them a very great satisfaction and their way of life was improved. Also told about bad experiences of discrimination and bad treatments:

“In the hospital all know my gender identity and about my hormonal treatment but they name me as my masculine name, even though in front of other patients. Once, after a blood exam, I shout two nurses that was laughing about me”(62). Italian Trans Woman.

It is an urgent demand that transexuality should be removed from the list of mental diseases of World Health Organization (WHO) and also from American Psychiatric Association (APA), because think that transexuality is a disease is the justification to discrimination. Also as gender identity had to pass throught medicalization, some doctors abuse of this power position to humiliate and discriminate this population.

This book is an important and huge research that resume actual situation of Trans population in Europe in the field of health. It has a lot of information about survey and statistics. We celebrate this book and hope here in Latin American we could make some research similar to complete world view of living transexuality.