Acesso aos serviços de saúde e suas interfaces com as violências: perspectivas das mulheres transgênero e travestis

Abstract

The term trans designates people with transgender female identities, which includes transsexual women and transvestites. This population group suffers from weak access to healthcare resulting from inequalities, prejudice and violence. The object of this study was to investigate the perceptions of transgender and transvestite women regarding access to health services and their interfaces with violence. The general objective was to describe their perceptions about access to health services and their interfaces with violence. The specific objectives were: understand the perceptions of transgender and transvestite women regarding access to health services; characterize the violence experienced by transgender and transvestite women, and identify the interfaces of this violence with access to health from the perspective of these women. This research is characterized by the adoption of a qualitative and descriptive approach. The participants were. Nine trans/transvestite women from the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, users of public health units, aged between 18 and 49 years old, with predominantly brown or black skin color, participated in this study. Data collection took place from April into September of the 2023 and through semi- structured interviews. The sample was intentional and snowball sampling. Braun and Braun e Clarkethematic analysis was applied to the data. The themes elaborated were, Perceptions of trans and transvestite women regarding access to health services and Violence experienced by trans and transvestite women and their interfaces with access to health. Participants have access to primary, out patient and hospital health services, but favor a specialized academic service due to easier access to the transsexualization process and other services associated with projects and research. Barriers to access to health arise from restrictions on the use of basic units and the transsexualization process, leading them to resort to self-medication, as well as professional unpreparedness and prejudiced and discriminatory attitudes against trans women, culminating in institutional violence. Trans women were exposed to violence of a physical, verbal, psychological, sexual nature and by an intimate partner in various social spaces, such as family, school, university, work, among others. Attitudes of disrespect for rights and social name, weaknesses in the quality of care and professional unpreparedness were barriers highlighted by trans women, causing distrust in the use of health services in situations of violence. When physical violence was serious and life-threatening, hospital emergencies were used. The public health network requires substantial improvements to offer qualified access to trans women, including professional training and the provision of services that are welcoming and respectful of gender diversity, with the promotion of comprehensive health and a qualified approach to gender-based violence for trans women and transvestites.