chron.com – Dionne Walker – Associated Press Writer
For all the primping, powdering and pumping up many transgender men and women will do to pass as the opposite sex, there’s one thing health care experts say too many of them can’t stomach: a visit to the doctor.
A health study by the Virginia Health Department and Virginia Commonwealth University is intended to unravel the fears and prejudices hindering transgender people from seeking health care.
The Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Study targets those who feel they were born the wrong biological sex. Some undergo full transitions and have surgery; others take hormone injections to change their appearance.
Though documenting a largely closeted community is difficult, the National Center for Transgender Equality estimates as many as 3 million Americans are transgender.