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Health service use and experiences of people who identified as transgender, in Australia and New Zealand, were examined. Participants were invited to complete a web-based survey that allowed for closed and open responses. In total, 253 respondents completed the survey; 229 were from Australia and 24 from New Zealand; 75.5% (191) reported the sex recorded on their birth certificate as male and 24.5% (62) as female; 82.2% of participants reported they had a regular doctor; of these, 83.4% reported a check up in the last year. Mental health professionals had been accessed by 47.4% of the sample. Approximately 73% reported use of hormone treatments for gender-related reasons and 39.1% of respondents reported having had gender-related surgery. Similar proportions of assigned males and females reported surgery. Participants cited many examples of positive and negative experiences with health professionals. Health and medical services play a critical role in gender affirmation for many transgender people but they were also subject to strong criticisms from participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research had its beginnings in an act of trans activism, including a campaign by a number of trans organizations advocating the need for research dealing with health, wellbeing and access to health services in relation to this population. This study set out to recruit the broadest possible community sample by using a range of recruitment techniques and an online survey. In total, 253 respondents completed the survey. Of these, 229 were from Australia (90.5%) and 24 (9.5%) were from New Zealand. Respondents rated their health on a five-point scale; the majority of the sample rated their health as 'good' or 'very good'. On the SF36 scale, respondents had poorer health ratings than the general population in Australia and New Zealand. Respondents reported rates of depression much higher than those found in the general Australian population, with assigned males being twice as likely to experience depression as assigned females. Respondents who had experienced greater discrimination were more likely to report being currently depressed. Respondents were asked about their best and worst experiences with a health practitioner or health service in relation to being trans. They contrasted encounters where they felt accepted and supported by their practitioners with others where they were met with hostility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an online survey of transgender people conducted in Australia and New Zealand, half the respondents (50.6%) reported having made attempts to amend formal documentation to reflect their current gender identity, and that this was crucial to their sense of personal and identity recognition, as well as an affirmation of citizenship. Experiences and outcomes varied, even within the same organisation, leading to different degrees of difficulty and frustration. For gender to be changed on some documentation, the individual is required to show evidence of having had a related surgical procedure. Almost 90% of participants who had undergone surgery had also made attempts to change documentation, and a quarter of participants who had not undergone any surgical procedures had made similar attempts. Participants who had been able to successfully change their documentation experienced this as affirming of their gender, and as recognition of civil belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]