Howard Brown Health and Partners Release First Research Findings for Trans and Nonbinary Health

The report is the first collection of data on transgender and nonbinary health research priorities from the Four Corners Network; findings can make future research projects more relevant, ethical, and beneficial to TNB individuals.

(Chicago, IL, February 24, 2021) – Today, the Four Corners: Trans & Nonbinary (TNB) Health Research Advisory Network, an initiative of Howard Brown Health’s Center for Education, Research, and Advocacy, announced the release of its first report entitled Health Research Priorities Among TNB Communities. The innovative community-led research advisory network released findings identifying priority areas and directions for researchers looking to develop patient-centered projects focused on addressing the health needs of TNB communities.

Read the full report, Health Research Priorities among TNB Communities here.

Findings from the Four Corners network can make future research projects more relevant, ethical, and beneficial to TNB individuals, whose voices and experiences are often overlooked or ignored.

The major findings identified by the researchers and TNB community members from across the country are:

• Community-identified Research Priorities:
  •  Gender-affirming Medicine & Health Outcomes
  •  Reproductive Health, Fertility, & Family Planning
  •  Nonbinary-specific Research

• Directions for Ethical & Meaningful Research on TNB Health:
  • The Need for Diversity & TNB Leadership among Research Teams
  • Visibility & Community Benefit
  • Trust, Transparency, & Accessibility

“We’re excited to have completed the first phase of a multi-year project with the Four Corners Network,” said Sarah Rittner, Interim Vice President of Howard Brown Health’s Center for Education, Research & Advocacy. “Researchers looking to support TNB people will now have access to real data and input directly from members of the community they are striving to serve.

“Trans and nonbinary people need to be at the table to represent our communities. Four Corners research finally brings healthcare professionals, researchers, and community members together to address TNB health inequities,” said Four Corners Network Member, Bo Hwang.

Four Corners is network made up of researchers, clinicians, and TNB community members from three Federally Qualified Health Centers: Howard Brown Health in Chicago, Los Angeles LGBT Center, and Whitman-Walker Institute in Washington, D.C. Together, the organizations serve over 10,000 TNB-identified patients and clients. The network officially launched in 2018, read the press release here.

This work was funded through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (EA #10754).

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Media Inquiries:
Erik Roldan, Director of Communications and Marketing
mediainquiries@howardbrown.org

Howard Brown Health envisions a future where the health and wellness of LGBTQ people is affirmed with healthcare as a human right; where progressive social policy and enlightened societal norms uplift the lives of LGBTQ people and their families; and where affordable, accessible, and culturally competent care from non-judgmental healthcare professionals is available and provided to all who seek it. Howard Brown is the largest LGBTQ organization in the Midwest, providing primary and specialty healthcare, social services, and infectious disease screenings to more than 35,000 people each year and over 5,665 TGNC-identified patients annually.

Four Corners is a diverse network of health care providers, trans and nonbinary (TNB) community members, and researchers in the U.S. committed to participant-driven health research that is relevant, beneficial, and accessible to the TNB community.