Stigma leads to reluctance in regular health check-ups among transgenders
India is facing an enormous Covid-19 crisis; the struggle is further aggravated as the second wave hits the nation. Loss of lives and physical complications are the primary consequences of this health pandemic; however, the catastrophic effects on psychological, social, and economic spheres are undeniable. Prolonged lockdown, social distancing, loss of employment, and overall unpredictability have overwhelmed humankind worldwide. The virus has affected humans across class, caste, religion, gender, and race; albeit, the effects of Covid-19 are indeed not uniform across the strata of our society. Stigmatization, discrimination, and poverty have caused some sectors of society to suffer more than others. Indian transgender people are one of the worst impacted victims of the pandemic. In 2020 baseless superstitions and rumors were brewing all over the nation, but at the same time, Hyderabad streets were full of posters with aggressive, resentful messages like '"If you talk to trans genders, you will get infected by Coronavirus," or "Save people from Coronavirus Hijras". This incident provides only a glimpse of the discrimination and transphobia existing in Indian society. Fear of facing stigma in the arena of health care settings leads to a reluctance in regular health check-ups among transgender persons and this might impact their RT-PCR testing during Covid-19. The 2011 census report shows that the size of the transgender population in India is around 4.87 lakh. Still, the country has very few transgender-specific quarantine centers, except for places like Manipur and Kolkata. In most cases, they share a hospital ward with either cis-men or cis-women without a separate toilet for trans individuals, resulting in severe discomfort.
The rate of contraction of Covid-19 is also higher in the transgender community since, in most cases, they live in slums with shared rooms. A 2017 National Human Rights Commission Reportsuggests that 53 percent of transgender people live in a guru-chela system. Another 40 percent live with other transgender people. In most cases the rooms are shared by 10-15 individuals, making social distancing a remote concept.
During the pandemic, survival itself has become a challenge for the transgender community. A National Human Rights Commission (2017) survey revealed 98 per cent of the transgender community did not own any property, more than 50 percent of bank account holders had less than 2000 rupees in savings. Lack of employment and education opportunities have left them with a restricted source of livelihood such as performing rituals in ceremonies, begging, and sex work. Even these employment options were completely shut during the lockdown period, resulting in an even more extreme form of poverty. In India, the transgender community reports a heightened risk of mental health issues. In one study, 48 percent of transgender participants had psychiatric disorders including alcohol dependence and depressive spectrum disorders. The plight and sufferings have further deteriorated during the pandemic. While the government has taken some initiatives such as providing free ration during the pandemic, more such are necessary to aid their economic empowerment. Special care must also be taken to provide access to information, undisrupted medical care, and a safe, discrimination-free public health setting.
(The author is Assistant Professor, Psychology, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad. The views expressed are personal.)