Health Differences Between Transgender and Cisgender Adults

The health status and quality of life of transgender adults has been difficult to study due to a lack of standardized data collection. In 2014, the CDC added an optional sexual orientation and gender identity questionnaire to the national behavioral risk factor surveillance system. The new survey was used in 36 states from 2014 to 2017. Among 730,000 respondents, 0.55% identified as transgender.

Compared with cisgender adults, transgender adults were more likely to smoke cigarettes (19% vs. 16%) and to be physically inactive (35% vs. 26%). Transgender adults were more likely to report fair or poor health status (25% vs. 18%) and to experience severe mental distress (20% vs. 12%); significant differences persisted after adjustment for clinica…