Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37471374›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Stigma and discrimination against transgender men in Bhutan.

Vinita Saxena, Audrey Xu, Kinley Kinley, Tashi Tsheten, Tenzin Gyeltshen, Tashi Tobgay, Tae Young Zajkowski, Willi McFarland, Lekey Khandu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Workplace Harassment of Transgender People: A Narrative Review.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Vinita SaxenaUniversity of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America.ORCID 0009-0008-5182-7872
Audrey XuStanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America.
Kinley KinleyDepartment of Public Health, National HIV, AIDS and STIs Control Program, Ministry of Health, Thimphu, Bhutan.
Tashi TshetenQueer Voices of Bhutan, LGBTIQ Network of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan.
Tenzin GyeltshenPride Bhutan, LGBTIQ Network of Bhutan, Thimphu Bhutan.
Tashi TobgayInstitute of Health Partners, Thimphu, Bhutan.
Tae Young ZajkowskiUniversity of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America.
Willi McFarlandSan Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA, United States of America.
Lekey KhanduDepartment of Public Health, National HIV, AIDS and STIs Control Program, Thimphu, Bhutan.ORCID 0000-0002-7256-6615

Funding

SHINE Strong: Building the pipeline of HIV behavioral scientists with expertise in trans population health R25MH119858 · NIMH · PUBLIC HEALTH FOUNDATION ENTERPRISES · PI ARAYASIRIKUL, SEAN, MCFARLAND, WILLIAM · 2020 to 2024
$1.3M
NIMH NIH HHS R25 MH119858
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile transgender people worldwide face high rates of stigma and discrimination, there are few studies of transgender men (also "trans men") in Asia. We measured the prevalence of, and factors associated with, stigma and discrimination faced by trans men in Bhutan to bring visibility to their experiences and inform health and social policy changes.

methodsThis cross-sectional survey was conducted in nine regions in Bhutan from November 2019 to January 2020. A total of 124 trans men were recruited using a hybrid venue-based and peer-referral approach. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression characterized associations with experiencing stigma and discrimination when accessing health services.

findingsParticipants were young (48.0% 18-24 years) and 48.4% had migrated from a rural to an urban area. The majority (95.2%) experienced stigma because people knew or thought they were trans men. Associations with frequent experiences of stigma were living with their partner as a couple (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.07, 95% CI 1.27-7.44) and being unemployed or a student (3.22, 1.44-7.19). Nearly half (47.6%) said they experienced discrimination when accessing health care because people knew or thought they were a trans man; this experience was associated with migration (2.42, 1.08-5.39) and having >15 trans men in their social network (3.73, 1.69-8.26). Most (94.4%) experienced verbal violence, 10.5% experienced physical violence, and 4.8% experienced sexual violence.

interpretationOur study found high rates of stigma, discrimination, and interpersonal violence due to being a trans man in Bhutan. Findings highlight the urgent need for strengthening laws and regulations to protect the rights of transgender persons, particularly when accessing health services, recognizing partnerships, and preventing violence in public spaces.

Indexed as

HIV InfectionsTransgender PersonsBhutanCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSocial Stigma

Identifiers

PMID37471374
PMCPMC10358905

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.