Health-seeking behaviors, its facilitators and barriers, and the sense-making of health and well-being among trans Filipinos: An intersectional phenomenology of health

• Main Author: Abesamis, Luis Emmanuel A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Health behavior; Transgender people > Philippines; Well-being; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_behsc/10; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=etdm_behsc
• Institution: De La Salle University

This thesis explored and described the health-seeking behaviors and the sense-making of health and well-being among transgender (trans) Filipinos vis-à-vis their co-occurring experiences of the structures of domination (i.e., cisgenderism, colonialism, and capitalism), the inaccessibility of the healthcare system, and their perceived health status. Following a hermeneutical phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews with eight (8) self-identified trans Filipinos were conducted online using a semi-structured interview guide. Analysis of the narratives elucidated that health-seeking is dilemmatic among trans Filipinos, often resulting in trans Filipinos being forced to forego, delay, or redirect their health-seeking towards alternative—often precarious—sources of much-needed healthcare. The experience of health-seeking is further complicated for trans Filipinos who are unemployed and are based outside of Metro Manila. Nevertheless, the narratives illuminated a nuanced construction of health among trans Filipinos that is grounded within the context of community. Future studies can further explore the health-seeking behaviors and embodiment of health among trans Filipinos with multiple health experiences (e.g., chronic conditions). Likewise, these studies can investigate how trans Filipinos navigate online communities and the unique norms and systems within these digital spaces. Furthermore, duty bearers, such as the government and NGOs, must revisit their strategies for engaging with the trans community in the Philippines and explore ways to integrate or institutionalize community initiatives for trans health.