Narratives of Health among Black Trans Men: An Exploratory Intersectional Analysis
Transgender (trans) men are individuals assigned a female sex at birth who identify along a masculine spectrum. 1, 2 Many trans men in the United States contend with stigma, discrimination, violence, and isolation based on others’ reactions to their gender identities and presentations (Grant et al., 2011). Where there is research, the data demonstrate high rates of violence, mental health problems, social service needs, and barriers to health care among trans men (Conron, Scott, Stowell, & Landers, 2012; Keuroghlian, Reisner, White, & Weiss, 2015; Peitzmeier, Khullar, Reisner, & Potter, 2014; Reisner, Katz- Wise, Gordon, Corliss, & Austin, 2016; Singh, 2013; Stephens, Bernstein, & Philip, 2011; Thomas, 2016). Over the last fifteen years there has been an increase in the amount of research on trans men’s healthcare needs and experiences (MacCarthy, Reisner, Nunn, Perez-Brumer, & Operario, 2015). Frequently explored topics in trans men’s health include HIV/STI risk (Reisner, Perkovich, & Mimiaga, 2010; Sevelius, 2009); mental health (Bockting, Miner, Swinburne Romine, Hamilton, & Coleman, 2013); and access to and utilization of health care (Rachlin, Green, & Lombardi, 2008; Roller, Sedlak, & Draucker, 2015; Rounds, McGrath, & Walsh, 2013; Shires & Jaffee, 2015).
