Examining access to gender-affirming surgery: A community-based thematic analysis of structural and systemic barriers and supports
This study highlights how TGDI face compounded barriers to GAS, including the emotional burden of navigating insurance and WPATH criteria, gatekeeping, and identity erasure. Community networks-especially chosen families and peer knowledge-sharing-emerged as critical facilitators. Beyond increasing representation, findings point to the need for reforming eligibility pathways, provider training in trauma-informed care, and investment in community-based infrastructures that already support access.
Authors
- Braveheart Gillani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4637-3983)
- Erika L. Kelley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9413-0209)
- Shubham Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9145-7799)
- Amine Sahmoud
- Swagata Banik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2751-1746)
- Rachel Pope (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1097-7611)
- Gulnar Feerasta
- Daniel Hamilton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3668-7647)
Institutions
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte (US)
- St. Bonaventure University (US)
- University Hospitals of Cleveland (US)
- Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center (US)
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- SSM - Qualitative Research in Health
- Published
- 2025-06-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100589
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.44
Funders
- American Medical Association
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities