Chapter 8: Health Care

• Author: Ally Windsor Howell
• Pages: 87-101

Transgender persons face several obstacles to getting proper health care,

even when they can pay for it or are otherwise entitled to it. Health care

professionals are like the general population; some of them are biased, unin-

formed, and so on too. This leads to a refusal to treat or a denial of care

and, at its worst, leads to mistreatment and abuse.

§8.1 Bias and Prejudice in the Delivery

of Health Care and Denial of Care

The Faces of Transgender People Denied Health

Care—Tyra Hunter (1971–1995)

Among the most famous health care abuse stories is that of Tyra Hunter, a

Washington, D.C., hit-and-run victim. On the morning of August 7, 1995, a

car accident left 24-year-old passenger Tyra Hunter bleeding profusely. She

had been on her way to work as a hairdresser, was pulled out of the car by

bystanders before reghters and emergency medical service workers arrived

at the scene. Eyewitness Catherine Poole told investigators that Hunter was

conscious and “starting to complain of pain” when the rescuers arrived.

“[T]he ambulance person that was treating [Hunter] said to her that

‘Everything is going to be all right, honey,’” Poole continued. “At that point,

she started to urinate on herself. The ambulance person started to cut the

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Health Care

CHAPTER 8

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