| 1 |
Thais (Manaus) |
[I’ve felt discriminated against in healthcare settings] many times. It’s constant, I’m used to it. That’s how it’s gonna be for a long time, and there’s no way to change it. (...) There’s always someone who looks at you, rolls their eyes, gives you a dirty look. You’re feeling fine, having a beautiful day, and then someone looks at you like that, and your day is ruined just because of who you are. And it hurts. |
| 2 |
Rafaela (Porto Alegre) |
I had a consultation with a dermatologist, and I also felt a bit strange. He was kind of curt, like “show me this, show me that.” And then I felt a bit embarrassed about my body. |
| 3 |
Isabella (Porto Alegre) |
A lot of people look at transgender folks differently, always. Let’s say you’re at the health clinic, 10 people go ahead of you, and you end up being the last one. I’ve heard this before, which shouldn’t happen; there should be equality for everyone. |
| 4 |
Guiomar (São Paulo) |
For us, travestis, it’s very complicated because you never know how you’ll be treated at that clinic. There is a security guard (...), you don’t know how he’ll receive you because you’re transgender, whether he’ll crack a joke, or be polite. You don’t know how you’ll be treated by the lady who will assist you. So you go in with your head high. You’re already sick, but there’s always someone trying to be funny. (...) They already know they’re going to assist a transgender person, so there is already something stating my name, my birth name, and showing my chosen name underneath. [The doctor] called out [my birth name] loudly, and there were some people there, I heard a few giggles. (...) I want to go back, but who says I want to go back to see him? I don’t. And mind you, I’ve been postponing [my return] for a year now. |
| 5 |
Eva (São Paulo) |
I’ve been through a situation where they looked at me and called me by my father’s name. Even though my name was identified. (...) I waited for her to call out other names, then I stood up, politely asked for permission, and said: “Look, the name you’ve been repeating for a while is my father’s name. My name is Eva. You’ve already checked my ID twice and you’ve noticed that I’m a travesti. I’ll go back, sit down, and you will pronounce my name.” |
| 6 |
Carolina (Porto Alegre) |
She faced some restrictions within the hospital, where, at the time, Lucy had to involve the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the whole thing, because they left her in a male area even though she was (...) [gender] reassigned, you know? |
| 7 |
Janaína (São Paulo) |
There are some STI clinics around that I know of, where the girls go, and the doctor, for example, doesn’t specify how PrEP is going to work. If she feels any nausea, when she gets really nauseous because of hormone intake, whether she can take Plasil, or any other medication (...). And we know that the level of education among travestis and transsexual populations is not high. (...) I understand, I ask questions, but there are girls who are even ashamed to ask. (...) There are many girls I know, especially in the North Zone, who are minors and die as a result of HIV, actually AIDS. So, I think this issue could also be improved by doing something for the underage girls, who are sex workers, who live off that, (...) who are homeless (...) and have no documents. They’re also denied that [treatment]. |
| 8 |
Laís (Manaus) |
I’m always very well attended to when I go to the Emergency Care Service in São Raimundo. (...) I go there because it’s a unit where, every time I arrive, I’ve never been discriminated against and never been denied treatment. They always receive me very well. |
| 9 |
Eva (São Paulo) |
Specialized services are much more humanized than other services, than a Basic Health Unit, than an emergency room, or another healthcare facility. Because specialized services are already more accustomed to this specific population, which I think is the population that tests the most. And they are trained to deal with these people. |
| 10 |
Manuela (Campo Grande) |
I think more things like what happened to me should happen, like someone just showing up and saying “there’s a testing happening there, you have to show up on such-and-such day, such-and-such time” and there will even be an incentive [financial assistance], because I don’t think it’s talked about so much within this community. I think there’s a lack of incentive for the girls to want to get tested. |
| 11 |
Valentina (Manaus) |
I liked it here. In fact, when I came here last month to this project (...), I got vaccinated here on the same day. I found it so quick, I went through the doctors, did my exams, my rapid tests here. I found it very positive, interesting, for you to be alongside the transgender outpatient clinic. I liked it, it’s an incentive to bring other people here, other girls who are out there, outside the system, not getting treatment, not having access, for them to know too. |
| 12 |
Cláudia (São Paulo) |
Back in the day, there was more prejudice, we suffered more. Nowadays, it’s not like that, things are much better for us. We’re having more opportunities to live. |
| 13 |
Júlia (São Paulo) |
Professionals are more attentive because nowadays disrespect doesn’t go unnoticed, the manager calls them into the office and says: “look, darling, this isn’t going to fly because it’s not right; (...) you might be religious at church, but here, this is a health center, this is your job; so, get a grip, respect people.” It’s a matter of respect. |
| 14 |
Laura (Porto Alegre) |
You know, I think nowadays, we’re having a lot more opportunities, you know? For example, just recently, a laboratory opened up. (...) They do all kinds of treatments for transgender people, travestis, you know? And they’re really attentive. I loved it. I went there. They’re wonderful with us, you know? |
| 15 |
Heloísa (Porto Alegre) |
What’s lacking is (...) attention, agility in exams for us to know if we have HIV, if we have AIDS, if we have syphilis, HPV, gonorrhea, all these diseases. (...) So, what’s missing is a hormonization and a project that can ensure for us, trans and transsexual individuals, to be treated more, to be cared for more, to be called in more quickly. |
| 16 |
Grace (São Paulo) |
Many girls work on the street and are very exposed. Sometimes, you can’t wait 3, 4 months. They’re out there exposing themselves every day, and it happens, you know, to contract something and need faster treatment. Maybe that’s it, the improvement should be that, having more specialized places for transgender women and travestis, and also transgender men. |
| 17 |
Eva (São Paulo) |
So, like, it’s about humanizing the care. (...) If my team doesn’t understand what transgender identity is all about, as the director of this place, I would seek out someone who has greater and better knowledge than my team, to come and train my team. [...] It’s about removing that robotic, automatic thing. |
| 18 |
Rafaelly (São Paulo) |
There should be more treatment for transgender people. More alternatives. Having specialized endocrinologists for transgender people in all clinics, which I think is what’s lacking, they really need to understand what a transgender body is and not think that any medication, anything will help us. |
| 19 |
Lia (Campo Grande) |
It would start with training professionals to receive these individuals. It’s because, often, due to social exclusion, these people end up not seeking healthcare services, and I think that by investing in specific units for the health of transgender people... There is a specificity: hormone therapy, psychological support, and so on. |
| 20 |
Fernanda (Porto Alegre) |
If transgender women were the ones providing [the care], for themselves, by themselves, they wouldn’t feel like aliens in the hospital. If the attendant were a transgender person, if the doctor were a transgender man, they would have a bit more freedom and feel like normal people. I think if they spoke the same language... (...) I think if they opened doors for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals to be attendants, nursing assistants, or even doctors, communication would be a bit clearer. |
| 21 |
Júlia (São Paulo) |
Society owes a debt. [Healthcare for the transgender population] is a priority, yes. There’s this historical portrayal that the public health system has killed a lot of people. So, they’ll have to treat us like queens, yes, at the UBS, to try to make amends, they’ll have to address us as ‘ma’am,’ ‘miss,’ or ‘madam,’ if necessary. And they’ll have to provide quality care. Why? Because travestis are people just like everyone else, but the only difference is that we have to keep proving that we’re human. |
