Largest transgender survey ever in U.S. reveals high rates of sexual assault, suicide, HIV, prostitution

Jan 18, 2017 by Jill

by Fr Mark Hodges, LifeSite:

A gay rights organization recently published the largest survey of transgender people ever attempted in the United States.

The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) surveyed 27,715 self-described transgenders in 2015 and analyzed the results of their self-reported experiences.

Both transgender rights advocates and those who believe transgenderism needs healing would agree that the NCTE survey shows transgender life is anything but gay. Responses reflected a special interest group that as a whole feels victimized and discriminated against in the wider community. The survey also revealed that violence is a common facet of transgender life.

Nearly half (47 percent) of transgender participants said they experienced being sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. No follow-up questions probed the possibility of cause-and-effect, or asked whether respondents felt past sexual assault led them to reject their birth gender.

Psychiatrists and researchers have long known the high rate of suicide and attempted suicide among transgenders. Some experts attribute these tendencies to deep inner conflict and others say transgenders are suicidal because of a lack of acceptance in society at large. The NCTE survey found 39 percent of transgenders report serious recent psychological stress (eight times the 5 percent rate of the average American).

Fully 40 percent admitted to attempting suicide — nine times more common than the average citizenry (4.6 percent). Seven percent attempted suicide in the past year, which is 12 times the average rate (0.6 percent).

Additionally, the survey confirmed the astronomical rates of HIV infection: five times the general population (1.4 percent vs. 0.3 percent). It lists 3.4 percent of transgender men (men living as if they were women) having HIV, and an incredible 19 percent of black men living as women — nearly one in five — having the life-threatening precursor to AIDS.

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