An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Transition-Based Care

Abstract

The aim of the research is to explore transgender persons’ lived experiences of transitionbased care, paying particular attention to the impact of age, location and social background. Existing literature investigating the experiences of transgender persons has found that in comparison to cisgender persons, transgender persons receive a poorer quality of healthcare in many respects and have been found to experience discrimination (Lerner and Robles 2017). The research is underpinned by interpretivist ontology and social constructivist epistemology, which allows the research to focus on how participants construct their own realities (Crotty 1998). The research is approached from a phenomenological theoretical perspective and the methodological strategy used is interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). A phenomenological perspective is important when investigating something as unique, sensitive and personal as transgender persons’ subjective experiences of transition-based care (Smith et al. 2009). Data were collected using the semi-structured interview method and the findings are discussed. The researcher utilised IPA which allowed for the emergence of six master themes in participants’ transcripts. The themes which will be discussed in turn are Responsibility for/ Engagement with Care, Transgender Specific Education, Being Accepted as a Transgender Man, Faith in the Healthcare System, Structural Barriers to Care and Lack of Communication.