First-of-Its-Kind Study on HRT and COVID Vaccine

The LGBTQ community is no stranger to vaccines or medication. Statistically, LGBTQ folks are more likely to get vaccinated than their heterosexual peers. According to Them, 92 percent of LGBTQ people are vaccinated with at least one shot.

Vaccine Hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy among the LGBTQ community is not new. This comes from how queer folks were targeted and treated throughout history and. One of the most prolific and long-running practices that is only now starting to be debunked is conversion therapy, in which members of the LBGTQ community are subjected to unfounded and horrible medical practices to “cure them” of being queer that lead to higher rates of suicide and mental health.

This is one example of LGBTQ medical discrimination that has led to hesitancy. According to Human Rights Watch, the reasoning for LGBTQ people to be hesitant lies in the way LGBTQ people have been treated with medical discrimination.

In March 2021, HRC conducted a study that found the following statistics:

“HRC Foundation and PSB research in March 2021 found that amidst the worsening economic crisis, disparities exist in openness to receiving the vaccines alongside concerns about the vaccines’ safety and efficacy. While42 percent of LGBTQ adults say they are ‘very likely’ to get vaccinated, compared to 39 percent of all adults in the United States, Black LGBTQ adults (29 percent), bi+ women (32 percent), bi+ adults (38 percent) and Latinx LGBTQ adults (38 percent) are less likely to say feel the same way. Additionally, 22 percent of LGBTQ adults and 24 percent of LGBTQ adults of color are currently unemployed. This was an overall seven point increase from 15 percent for LGBTQ adults and 17 percent for LGBTQ adults of color since the November elections.”

In November 2021, HRC concluded its study and found that the statistics they had conducted in March were spot on. The comprehensive research also showed that those with compromised immune systems and HRT were more hesitant to get the vaccines than those without HRT.

HRT and Vaccines

The recent findings by HRC show that HRT LGBTQ people are less likely to take the vaccine out of fear for how their bodies will handle the vaccine. Currently, according to Them:

“A report released Tuesday by the Human Rights Campaign presents first-of-its-kind data on the concerns of trans people and those who take medication for the treatment or prevention of HIV. While LGBTQ+ Americans are significantly more likely to be vaccinated than the general population, one in five (20 percent) LGBTQ+ adults undergoing HRT expressed concerns about how a COVID-19 vaccine could impact them. Nearly a third (32 percent) of LGBTQ+ adults taking medication for HIV also indicated concerns that the vaccine would negatively interact with their medication. These concerns were particularly heightened among Black (39 percent) and Latinx (34 percent) respondents, who are also disproportionately more likely to be HIV-positive.”