Athletic Trainers and Access to Healthcare for Transgender Collegiate Athletes of Color: The Role of Intersectionality
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Transgender athletes of color face significant barriers to accessing quality care, including limited access to affirming services and inadequate education from healthcare providers and athletic trainers regarding gender-affirming healthcare during their participation in sports.In addition, racism shape their experiences in distinct ways, interacting with transphobia to influence both their behaviors and their willingness to seek care.The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of collegiate transgender athletes of color seeking care from athletic trainers.Guided by intersectionality theory, this study examined how multiple identities shape healthcare interactions and health-seeking behaviors.Data were collected through 10 semistructured interviews with transgender athletes of color in North Florida.Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a phenomenological approach to identify patterns in lived experiences.Four major themes emerged: (a) conditional trust in athletic trainers, (b) experiences of exclusion and microaggressions, (c) strategic health-seeking behaviors, and (d) the impact of educated and affirming athletic trainers.Participants frequently described limited knowledge among athletic trainers, which influenced trust and led to avoidance or selective engagement with healthcare services.However, affirming interactions with knowledgeable trainers improved healthcare experiences and encouraged engagement.This study highlights the need for culturally competent training among athletic trainers and increased awareness of intersectional healthcare needs.Findings may inform educational practices, policies, and interventions aimed at improving equitable healthcare access for transgender athletes of color.Intersex: Natural body variations that are not typical of the average male or the average female (University of California Davis, 2023) Institute of Sexual Science: Founded 1919 by Magnus Hirschfeld in Berlin, Germany, and one of the first medical institutions to perform sex reassignment surgery for transgender persons and study sexology (Khan Naz, 2016) Kinsey Scale: 1940s scale first used by Alfred Kinsey, that measures human sexual attraction and various behaviors (University of California Davis, 2023) Lesbian: Attraction to only women (University of California Davis, 2023)LGBTQIA+: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual among others designated by the + sign (University of California Davis, 2023)
Source: ScholarWorks (Walden University)
Author: Holness, Tarah Althea
Institution: Walden University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7168444496