Health and Healthcare Service Use: The Experiences of Runaway Trans Adolescents Compared to their Peers

Coming Out to Family and Friends in the Trans and Gender Diverse Context

Despite the risks of rejection and discrimination, "coming out" can be an important psychological milestone for transgender (trans) and gender diverse people (TGD). We evaluated the dimensions of identity that predict coming out to family and friends, and the role of social support in explaining the psychosocial benefits associated with coming out. An online survey was completed by 951 TGD adults, 516 (54.3%) who identify as gender binary (164 transwomen and 352 transmen) and 435 (45.7%) who identify as nonbinary. Overall, gender binary TGD people were more likely than nonbinary people to disclose their identity to family and friends. Hierarchical binary logistic regressions further revealed that appearance congruence and strength of TGD identity are associated with disclosure to family, whereas positive TGD identity is associated with disclosure to friends. Path analyses confirmed that coming out is associated with improved resilience, psychological adjustment, and wellbeing, and that social support is a partial mediator of these associations. The results highlight the importance of coming out in the TGD context and suggest that greater access to social support may account for some of these benefits.

Enfermeiros diante do cuidado à saúde de adolescentes gays

Resumo Objetivo: analisar narrativas de enfermeiros sobre o cuidado à saúde de adolescentes gays. Método: estudo qualitativo, ancorado na Análise Temática de Clarke e Braun, adotando como referencial teórico o Interacionismo Simbólico, uma vez que ele favorece a apreensão da relação de comportamentos, interações e significados sociais. Foram entrevistados remotamente 12 enfermeiros, recrutados a partir da técnica de bola de neve, por meio da plataforma de vídeo Google Meet ® . Resultados: ao longo do processo compreensivo-interpretativo, foram elaborados quatro temas: “Adolescente gay, pautas e relação com a saúde”; “A família do adolescente gay e o cuidado”; “Relação com adolescente gay no cuidado” e “Limites para o cuidar de enfermagem ao adolescente gay”. Conclusão: as narrativas denunciam estigmas e símbolos derivados da cisheteronormatividade como intervenientes da relação e indicam premência de apostas no encontro intersubjetivo com os adolescentes gays e seus familiares em relação horizontal, afetiva e empática, com chances de favorecer defesa pública do direito à saúde. Há apontamentos para a atitude dos enfermeiros e qualificação do cuidado a essa população.

Los enfermeros frente al cuidado de la salud de los adolescentes gays

Resumen Objetivo: analizar los relatos de los enfermeros sobre el cuidado de la salud de los adolescentes gays. Método: estudio cualitativo, anclado en el Análisis Temático de Clarke y Braun, adoptando el Interaccionismo Simbólico como marco teórico, ya que favorece la aprehensión de la relación de comportamientos, interacciones y significados sociales. Fueron entrevistados remotamente 12 enfermeros, reclutados a partir de la técnica de bola de nieve, por medio de la plataforma de video Google Meet ® . Resultados: a lo largo del proceso comprensivo-interpretativo, se elaboraron cuatro temas: “Adolescente gay, pautas y relación con la salud”; “La familia del adolescente gay y el cuidado”; “Relación con adolescente gay en el cuidado” y “Límites para el cuidado de enfermería al adolescente gay”. Conclusión: las narrativas denuncian los estigmas y símbolos derivados de la cisheteronormatividad como intervinientes de la relación e indican la urgencia de apuestas en el encuentro intersubjetivo con los adolescentes gays y sus familiares en relación horizontal, afectiva y empática, con posibilidades de favorecer la defensa pública del derecho a la salud. Hay apuntes para la actitud de los enfermeros y calificación del cuidado a esa población.

Nurses and health care for gay adolescents

Objective:

to analyze nurses’ statements about health care for gay adolescents.

Method:

qualitative study, anchored on the Thematic Analysis of Clarke and Braun, with adoption of Symbolic Interactionism as a theoretical framework, since it favors the understanding of the relationship between behaviors, interactions, and social meanings. Twelve nurses recruited using the snowball sampling technique were remotely interviewed via the Google Meet^® video-conferencing app.

Results:

four themes were elaborated throughout the comprehensive-interpretative process: “Gay adolescents, agendas, and relation with health;” “The gay adolescent’s family and care;” “Relationship with gay adolescents in care,” and “Limits to nursing care for gay adolescents.”

Conclusion:

the statements denounce stigmas and symbols derived from cisheteronormativity as intervening in the relationship and indicate the urgency of investing in the intersubjective encounter with gay adolescents and their families in a horizontal, affective, and empathic relationship, with chances of favoring public defense of the right to health. There are comments on the nurses’ attitude and qualification of care for this population.