Transgender individuals and the health care system in Poland – attitudes, experiences, and challenges

Introduction:
Transgender individuals have long been part of society. Those deciding to undergo medical transition (hormone therapy, surgical procedures) are regular beneficiaries of the Polish healthcare system. At the same time, due to concerns about a lack of tolerance from cisgender individuals, they often postpone seeking medical interventions. The aim of this article was to examine the quality and accessibility of medical care in Poland.

Material and methods:
The study was conducted between March and April 2022 and included 106 transgender individuals. Among them, 22 participants (79.2%) were women, while the remaining 84 (79.2%) were men. A total of 91.5% of respondents lived in accordance with their experienced gender. A diagnostic survey method was used, with data collection carried out via a self-authored questionnaire. The questionnaire was created in MS Forms and distributed online.

Results:
The findings indicated that the primary reasons for limited use of public healthcare services by transgender individuals were fear of discrimination and concern about the lack of medical personnel’s knowledge regarding transgender issues. Many experienced anxiety when seeking medical care, which led them to neglect preventive examinations or postpone medical visits.

Conclusions:
The overall health status of the respondents was rated as average. More attention should be paid to distributing informational and educational brochures on transgender healthcare. Currently, such materials are provided by non-governmental organizations, such as the Trans-Fuzja Foundation. Medical professionals play a crucial role in creating a supportive healthcare environment. In the case of young transgender individuals, parents are the primary source of understanding and assistance, followed by medical specialists.