Urgent Care May Become a Likely Destination for Transgender Patients

Estimates of the number of transgender people in the United States range from just 0.3% to 0.6% of the population. Still, that means up to 1.4 million patients across the country may identify as transgendered. Data show they experience a disproportionate rate of health complications, sometimes due to hesitance to seek care for fear of being discriminated against (or even refused treatment in extreme cases). Given this reluctance to establish primary healthcare relationships, urgent care may increasingly become a destination of choice when symptoms prompt patients to seek immediate relief. Providers looking for guidance on treating this population ethically and respectfully can look to the World Professional Association of Transgender Health or The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.