"[Being] Trans Is So Much More Than Medical Models": A Qualitative Examination of Transgender Adults' Healthcare Experiences in the Southeastern United States.

Many transgender individuals experience significant barriers to accessing gender-affirming healthcare, and healthcare access and experiences can vary greatly depending on the location. Specifically, transgender individuals in the Southeastern United States may face unique challenges compared with individuals in other geographic regions. However, much of the statewide, regional, and national data on transgender individuals' healthcare experiences is from 2015 or earlier. The present study was conducted to help address this gap in the current research literature. Transgender individuals (<i>n</i> = 747) from the 2019 Southern LGBTQ Health Survey were asked qualitative questions regarding their healthcare experiences. Participants' experiences included themes related to factors affecting healthcare access, including cost, health insurance, urbanicity, and traveling to receive care. Moreover, gender-affirming healthcare and disaffirming healthcare (e.g., affirming language and clinic policies and clinical providers) were prominent themes discussed by participants. Experiences of stigma and discrimination, including anticipated stigma, intersectional stigma and privilege, and decisions around identity disclosure, were also discussed. Findings have direct implications for policy and practice.