The Nevada Public Health Training Center is proud to announce the release of the 2020 Nevada Hope Grows for Transgender Health Summary Report. The survey was administered in December 2020 by the Nevada Public Health Training Center, in partnership with the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health and the Nevada Office of HIV/AIDS. The survey sought to gather important data on the health needs of gender diverse adults living and working in Nevada, focusing specifically on understanding access and barriers to health care services, identifying needs and resources, and measuring important indicators related to abuse and discrimination, COVID-19, substance use and mental health, and HIV/STDs.

Participants were recruited to participate in the study via social media and word of mouth across Nevada. The anonymous surveys were administered throughout December 2020 using an online survey platform. Data from 850 gender non-conforming adults living or working in Nevada are included in the summary report.

Some of the key findings highlighted in the report include that 88% of participants experienced discrimination as a result of their gender identity in the 12 months before the survey and only 14% of participants had been tested for HIV in the 6 months before the survey. Participants identified mental health services, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, and transition-related health insurance coverage as the top service needs for gender non-conforming adults in Nevada.

Taylor Lensch, PhD, MPH and Gerold Dermid, MBA of the Nevada Public Health Training Center recently presented initial findings from the survey to the Southern Nevada HIV Prevention Planning Group and will be presenting the data to other local and statewide groups in the near future. The Nevada Public Health Training Center plans to use the data for peer-reviewed conference presentations and publications, for developing legislative priorities, and to inform program development and resource allocation that support the health and well-being of gender non-conforming adults in Nevada.

"The 2020 Hope Grows for Transgender Health Needs Assessment was crucial for identifying the services, needs, and resources for gender non-conforming adults in Nevada. It is our hope that the results from this assessment can be used by medical providers, public health professionals, and service organizations to improve the health and well-being of gender non-conforming adults in Nevada. We are so grateful to all who helped us to develop and administer the needs assessment, and most importantly, to the gender non-conforming adults living and working in Nevada who took the time to complete the assessment." - Taylor Lensch, PhD, MPH

The full summary report for the 2020 Nevada Hope Grows for Transgender Health Report can be found on Making Health Happen.

Questions regarding the 2020 Nevada Hope Grows for Transgender Health Survey and Summary Report can be directed to Taylor Lensch (tlensch@unr.edu).