Healthcare and service utilization for transgender and gender-diverse children and adolescents in Brazil

Abstract

Healthcare for transgender and gender-diverse children and adolescents is particularly recent in Brazil. There are few services available and a scarce number of trained professionals, which can impact health access and service utilization. Other barriers include gender-related stigma, discrimination, and transphobia. Given this scenario, the main objective for this internship proposal is to deepen the analysis of the empirical data from the ongoing doctoral research with a focus on health care, access, and service utilization. The program indicated is the Social and Behavioral Health Sciences, at the University of Toronto (Dalla Lana School of Public Health), under the supervision of Lori Ross (Ph.D.). The period requested for the internship is from Oct-2024 to Apr-2025, lasting six months. The work plan includes four specific activities: 1) Analysis of the empirical data, with an emphasis on gender-related needs of transgender minors and service utilization; 2) Participation in graduate courses and seminars related to the research theme or that address qualitative analysis in health; 3) Research team meetings in the Re:searching for 2SLGBTQ+ Health Team, led by Professor Lori Ross; 4) Production of a manuscript about the Brazilian health care and service utilization among transgender children and adolescents and their families. The materials used will be transcriptions of 29 interviews with health professionals and family members, as well as participant observation records. In terms of analysis, we will seek to identify barriers and elements that can impact the health experience of transgender/gender-diverse children and adolescents, specifically those that can prevent access or facilitate it.