Sarah W. Morgan, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, 414-229-4173, smorgan@uwm.edu

Within the public health care arena there is a need to better address the health care concerns of transgendered persons. This postmodern feminist narrative inquiry was conducted to investigate the life experiences and health care concerns of a group of transgendered adults. Eleven participants, including 5 female-to-males, 5 male-to-females, and 1 cross-dresser were interviewed 3 times over a four-month period about how they experience their transgendered identities, their bodies, their relationships with others, and their health care. A narrative analysis was conducted with the assistance of NVIVO software to manage the qualitative data. Findings reveal themes relative to transgender specific care including, the cost of services and the availability of providers and those relative to general health care including, caring for discrepant bodies, sensitive versus insensitive providers, and preoccupied providers. Participants also shared their perspectives on improving health care for transgendered patients. Overall, it was evident that access to transgender specific and general health care is negatively affected by the lack of providers who are knowledgeable about and sensitive to the health care concerns of the transgendered.An implication of this research is the need to increase awareness about transgendered lives and experiences with health care among those in the public health care arena. Dissemination of these findings to public health care providers, advocates, and educators is one way to bridge this gap. Participants first hand accounts and practical recommendations for changing practice will provide those attending with the necessary knowledge to begin improving health care experiences for the transgendered.

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