The most thorough, representative study of transgender adults living in the United States, the KFF/Washington Post Trans Survey, was just released with the goal of better understanding trans people’s experiences throughout their lifetime, including youth, female move, and current wellbeing. This study offers the most thorough official account of trans Americans actually complied while also providing insights into their experiences in the healthcare system, building on that statement and using the survey data. Although a representative portion of trans people are included in some national surveys, demographic data are typically very general and do not permit more in-depth analysis of these people’s experiences and identities, particularly in relation to health access. Understanding trans people’s views and wellbeing is particularly important at a time when discussions about LGBTQ rights, including those related to healthcare, are dominating national discourse.
Interviews with 515 trans and sex non-conforming people were included in the study, along with a comparison test of 823 adult cisgender people. Cisgender ( non-trans ) adults are those who do not identify as trans and whose gender is the same as the sex that was assigned to them at birth. Trans adults include people who describe themselves as being trans or as a trans adult. Discover the strategy section of the full report for more details on sampling and the hiring process.
Identities
Personality of the Gender. One’s inherent sense of who they are —male, adult, transgender, non-binary, or some other identity—is the foundation of their gender identity. One is deemed transgender when their gender identity matches the sexual assigned to them at birth. Although some people use different terms to describe themselves, including being gender nonconforming or intersex, among others, when one’s sex identification does not coincide with the intercourse assigned at birth, they are frequently described as being trans.
When asked how they view themselves, a majority of trans adults say they are non-binary ( 40 % ), with about one in five saying they identify as trans women ( 22 % ), or gender nonconforming ( 22 % ), or trans men ( 12 % ). Others claim to identify in a different manner ( 2 % ). Some people use just one word, while others use several. When asked to specify, people who described themselves in” some additional way” frequently said they were agender or transgender. Those between the ages of 18 and 34 are more likely to identify as non-binary ( 47 % v 32 % ), compared to 35 or older.
assigned sex at birth. Because it is determined by genetic sexual characteristics and is listed on a person’s birth certificate, gender identity is different from the gender assigned at birth. It might or might not be related to gender personality. Individuals who are transgender and non-trans are equally likely to have been given a gender at birth.
Physical preference. Physical orientation is distinct from gender identity, which is based on an inner feeling of being, such as being transgender or transgender, among other names, and the sex that is medically assigned at birth ( being male, female, or in between ). The female or genders that a person finds attractive, romance, or sexually appealing are referred to as their sexual orientation. Cases of sexual orientations include heterosexual/straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and gay. Only 8 % of non-trans adults identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer, while the majority ( 70 % ) of trans adults did. Three out of ten trans adults, or 29 % of them, do n’t consider themselves to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer.
usage of a word. Without using an individual’s brand, nouns are a shorthand for referring to them. Nouns frequently imply female, as is the case when using he/him or she/her. Some adults, particularly LGBTQ adults and transgender or nonbinary adults in particular, use pronouns that do n’t typically correspond to the gender binary ( male/female ), such as they/them, or that are not traditionally associated with the sex that was given to them at birth. Some individuals also use many pronouns or are at ease using any one.
Nearly half of trans adults ( 48 % ) use they/them pronouns, with people between the ages of 18 and 34 having a higher than average ( 64 percent vs. 28 % ) prevalence. Nearly four out of ten trans adults ( 37 % ) use he/him pronouns, and about half of them ( 49 % ) do so. One-third of transgender people claim to use a combination of the pronouns they/them and she/her or he/him. ( Note: Because respondents could choose from a variety of genders, percentages do not always equal 100 %. )
General Statistics
Age. The people of transgender adults is younger than that of non-trans adults. Compared to just over a quarter of non-trans adults ( 28 % ), over half ( 53 % ) of trans adults are younger than 35. Compared to 22 % of non-trans adults ( not shown in chart ), only a small percentage of trans adults ( 8 % ) are seniors, or those over the age of 65.
Ethnicity and race. White, Hispanic, Black, and another races/ethnicities have comparable proportions of transgender and non-trans people.
Money. Compared to non-trans adults, a larger percentage of trans adults earn less than$ 50,000 annually, which may be due to their younger age, lower educational attainment, and higher unemployment rates ( see below ).
Education. When compared to non-trans people, trans people have lower levels of education. Compared to 65 % of non-trans adults, more than 8 out of 10 ( 84 % ) have less than a college degree. The likelihood of non-trans adults graduating from college is greater than that of trans adults ( 35 % vs. 15 % ). Despite having similar wages at most ranges and controlling for era, this obtaining was still accurate.
job. Smaller percentages of trans adults report being retired, likely because the trans adult population is younger in age than the non-transadult population, and a larger percentage report reporting being unemployed ( 14 % vs. 8 % ) or being students ( 8 % ). Similar stock claim to be employed, disabled, or a stay-at-home parent or homemaker.
Partisan identifying Fewer than one in ten ( 10 % ) of trans adults identify as Republicans, compared to nearly one-third ( 31 % ) of non-trans adults. Four out of the top ( 42 % ) do so. Adult transgender people are also more likely ( 20 % vs. 14 % ) to identify with a different political party than Republican, Democrat, or independent.
Marital Relationship. Trans adults are less likely to have ever been married ( 25 % vs. 38 % ), which likely reflects, at least in part, their younger age. They are currently married at about half the rate of non-trans adults ( 26 % versus 49 % ). They are, however, 20 % more good than 10 % to be living with an unmarried companion. The proportion of transgender people who are divorced or widowed is comparable to that of non-trans adults.
Parenthood. A parent or guardian for a child under the age of 18 who resides in their household is typically shared by trans adults ( 27 % vs. 26 % ). However, compared to non-transparents under 40, there are significantly fewer trans parents under the age of 40 ( 23 % vs. 40 % ).
Access to healthcare
Treatment for healthcare. More trans adults ( 85 % vs. 10 % ) report being uninsured than non-trans adults. Across age groups and racial and ethnic identities, the proportion of trans adults who say they do n’t have health insurance is similar, but it’s higher among those with lower household incomes compared to those who have higher.
Although trans adults are three times as likely to report having such coverage through a parent ( 10 % vs. 3 % ), likely reflecting their younger age, about half of both trans and non-trans adults report owning private insurance ( 55 % versus 51 % ). About one in four trans adults have Medicaid ( 21 % ), a larger share than non-trans-adults ( 14 % ), and smaller shares have Medicare ( 6 % ) vs. 25 % ), likely reflecting the younger age of the population.
Take care of site. Compared to non-trans people, transgender individuals use different types of wellness care options to access treatment. They are less likely to receive their routine care at a doctor’s office ( 48 % vs. 64 % ) and more likely ( 36 % ) to do so at clinics like health centers, pharmacies, and urgent care. Trans adults of color, those under 35, and those making less than$ 40,000 per year were more likely than White, older, or higher income trans adults to say that the ER is their usual place of care. Trans adults who are 35 years of age or older and make more than$ 40,000 per year are more likely than younger or lower-income trans adults to seek medical attention. Like non-trans people, about one in ten do not have access to treatment.
Well-being and Health
a person’s physical wellbeing. Despite being a younger people, trans people are more likely than non-trans individuals to record poor physical health. On average, transgender individuals had more time when their physical health, including bodily illness and injury, was” not good” over the previous 30 days. Less trans adults than non-trans adults had zero days when their physical health was poor over the previous 30 days ( 27 % vs. 41 % ), and nearly twice as many transgender people said their health had not been good for 21–30 days ( 17 % ) or 9 %, respectively. When comparing demographic variables like race/ethnicity, time, and income, there were little differences among trans adults.
Mental Well-being. Similar to this, only about one in ten trans adults ( 13 % ) reported that their mental health, including stress, depression, and problems with emotions, was not good on any days in the previous month, despite the fact that four in 10 ( 39 % ) non-trans adults said as much. On the other hand, 23 percent of transgender people claim that their mental health had not been great for 21 to 30 days prior to those 30. Importantly, transgender people who claimed to have a happy youth reported having fewer days with poor mental health. When comparing demographic variables like race/ethnicity, period, and income, there were only minor differences among trans adults. Trans people especially report higher prices of stress, depression, and loneliness than non-trans adults in our major survey review.
