“Just Going Without”: A Health Needs Assessment for Queer Women, Non-binary, and Transgender People in Seattle, WA

Abstract

Queer people (LGBTQIA+ people) face discrimination that negatively impacts their health. Research on queer health has tended to condense people of diverse queer identities into one group, meaning little is understood about the differences in health needs at different intersections of queerness. This trend has obscured the health needs of queer women, people of color, gender minorities (non-binary, genderqueer), and transgender people. The present study uses mixed methods to evaluate the health needs of queer women and non-binary people. Our findings indicate that queer women and non-binary people face considerable barriers when seeking health care services, across a broad spectrum of service types. Insurance and financial barriers were most ubiquitous, but transportation, hours, and queer competence also presented barriers that reduced access to care. This study improves our understanding of queer health needs and suggests areas for intervention to support queer health, but further research is needed.