TRANSGENDERS ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN INDIA

Abstract:

Human beings are complex creatures. When they evolved from their primitive way of life, they started structuring every aspect of life. One of the aspects which got structured was gender and gender roles. While it is impossible to trace when it happened, but gender was divided into binary. For centuries, the concept of gender binary has dominated in the society, labelling anyone out of these boundaries are immoral, unnatural or an abomination.One community which had harsh consequences was the transgender community. For generations they have been marginalised due to stigma and discrimination. Even though they were an important part of various cultures and Indian religious texts like Mahabharat and Ramayana, colonial influences corrupted the cultural beliefs. Colonisation brought with it rigid structures of gender binary and thus began the onslaught of the transgender community.Once revered in Indian subcontinent years of subjugation under British colonial laws and cultural influence left them one of the most vulnerable in India. Laws like Section 377 and Criminal Tribes Act tried to control various aspects of their life by declaring them innately immoral and their customs unlawful. Though CTA was abolished after independence, public opinion about the community persists. Stigma, discrimination, and marginalisation have dire consequences on health of the community.These factors influence the socioeconomic aspects of their lives which are important determinants of health but also affect their access to healthcare. Healthcare providers being part of the mainstream society carry social beliefs with them into their practice which may affect their opinion towards a particular community. This chapter aims to understand the journey of the transgender community from an Indian context and the various social factors which influence their health.