Barriers to Gender-Affirming Treatments for Transgender People in China (English)

This report documents the barriers faced by transgender individuals in China who want to access gender- affirming treatments and related health care or modify their sex characteristics to accord with their sense of gender identity. With a particular focus on people’s experiences with accessing gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatment in China’s public health system, Amnesty International found three main barriers to accessing this care: (i) a serious lack of health-related information for transgender people in China on how to access gender-affirming treatment; (ii) stringent pre-conditions to be eligible for gender-affirming surgeries; and (iii) stigma and discrimination from society, in particular family members, which makes it hard for transgender people to access and continue with gender-affirming treatments. The finding of this report is supported by existing quantitative research, including those conducted by the United National Development Programme and Peking University, on access to gender-affirming care for transgender people in China.