Prescription Pain Reliever Misuse Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults

Purpose

Little is known about the prevalence and risks associated with transgender and gender diverse (TGD) persons' misuse of prescription pain relievers (PPRs). This study explores the relationship between PPR misuse and various sociodemographic identities and experiences of discrimination in health care among TGD adults.

Methods

TGD participants (n=595) were recruited in 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional statewide trans health survey through convenience sampling. Chi-square tests of independence and logistic regressions were conducted to explore associations between sociodemographics and experiences of discrimination among persons who had ever misused PPRs, or who had misused PPRs in the past year.

Results

Sociodemographics such as gender identity (odds ratio [OR]=0.44, p=0.01), race/ethnicity (OR=0.14, p<0.001), and sexual orientation influence TGD individuals likeliness of misusing PPRs (OR=0.40, p<0.001). Notably, those who were ever diagnosed with anxiety had a higher likeliness of having lifetime PPR misuse compared with those who were never diagnosed (OR=2.05, p=0.05), and those reporting past-year discrimination within the mental health care setting because of their gender identity were more than twice as likely to report past-year misuse than those who reported not experiencing it (OR=2.43, p=0.004).

Conclusion

Certain subpopulations of TGD individuals may be at elevated risk of PPR misuse. It is imperative to acknowledge the impact of multimarginalized identities as well as differences across various identities and experiences within the TGD community while working to address non-PPR misuse.