Healthcare Access for Transgender Women in Malaysia: A Narrative Review of Barriers and Enabling Factors
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. Health Care in Malaysia
1.2. Health of Transgender Women in Malaysia
2. Methodology
Reflexivity and Positionality
3. Barriers to Healthcare Access and Utilization by Transgender Women in Malaysia
3.1. Primary Healthcare
3.2. Sexual Healthcare
3.3. Oral Healthcare
3.4. Mental Healthcare
4. Enabling Factors of Healthcare Access and Utilization by Transgender Women Malaysia
4.1. Inclusivity Training for Healthcare Workers
4.2. Prioritizing Trans-Specific Health Needs
4.3. Engagement Through Community-Led Organizations
4.4. Healthcare Policy Reforms
4.5. Technology-Based Health Interventions
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
UHC | Universal Health Coverage |
LMICs | Low- and Middle-Income Countries |
LGBT | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender |
MSM | Men who have Sex with Men |
HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |
STI | Sexually Transmitted Infections |
ART | Anti-retroviral Therapy |
OHRQoL | Oral Health-Related Quality of Life |
NSPEA | National Strategic Plan for Ending AIDS |
AIDS | Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome |
PrEP | Pre-exposure Prophylaxis |
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Telang, L.A.; Cotter, A.G.; Rashid, A. Healthcare Access for Transgender Women in Malaysia: A Narrative Review of Barriers and Enabling Factors. Sexes 2025, 6, 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes6030050
Telang LA, Cotter AG, Rashid A. Healthcare Access for Transgender Women in Malaysia: A Narrative Review of Barriers and Enabling Factors. Sexes. 2025; 6(3):50. https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes6030050
Chicago/Turabian StyleTelang, Lahari A., Aoife G. Cotter, and Abdul Rashid. 2025. "Healthcare Access for Transgender Women in Malaysia: A Narrative Review of Barriers and Enabling Factors" Sexes 6, no. 3: 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes6030050
APA StyleTelang, L. A., Cotter, A. G., & Rashid, A. (2025). Healthcare Access for Transgender Women in Malaysia: A Narrative Review of Barriers and Enabling Factors. Sexes, 6(3), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/sexes6030050