Autism involves differences in social communication, repetitive behaviors, and sensory experiences. A 2020 study by the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, involving over 640,000 people, found that TGD individuals are more likely to be autistic and have more autistic traits.
Autistic people are overrepresented at gender clinics and report more gender diversity and dysphoria than non-autistic people. Both autistic and transgender/gender-diverse individuals have poorer healthcare experiences and higher health risks compared to non-autistic and cisgender individuals. However, there are few studies on the healthcare experiences and outcomes of transgender/gender-diverse autistic individuals.
A new study by the University of Cambridge suggests that autistic transgender/gender diverse (TGD) individuals are at higher risk for long-term mental and physical health conditions and have alarmingly high rates of self-harm. These individuals also experience lower-quality healthcare.
This is the first large-scale study on autistic TGD people. The Autism Research Centre team used an anonymous survey to compare the experiences of 174 autistic TGD individuals, 1,094 autistic cisgender individuals, and 1,295 non-autistic cisgender individuals.
The survey examined mental and physical health rates and the quality of 51 aspects of healthcare experiences. Questions covered communication, anxiety, access, advocacy, system issues, and sensory experiences. Participants agreed with statements like “I can get to a healthcare professional,” “I can describe my pain,” and “I understand what my healthcare professional says.”
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Both autistic TGD and autistic cisgender adults reported worse healthcare experiences on 50 out of 51 items compared to non-autistic cisgender people, showing that autistic individuals have poorer quality healthcare regardless of their gender identity.
Autistic TGD individuals were three to 11 times more likely to report anxiety, shutdowns, and meltdowns related to common healthcare experiences compared to non-autistic cisgender individuals.
For every 10 non-autistic cisgender adults who agreed with these statements, only two autistic cisgender adults and one autistic TGD adult agreed:
- They understood their healthcare professional when discussing their health.
- They knew what was expected when seeing a healthcare professional.
- They could describe how bad their pain felt.
Autistic TGD and cisgender people were more likely to report long-term physical and mental health conditions. For every 10 non-autistic cisgender people with at least one diagnosed physical health condition, there were 15 autistic cisgender people and 23 autistic TGD people. For every 10 non-autistic cisgender people with at least one diagnosed mental health condition, there were 50 autistic cisgender people and 109 autistic TGD people.
Autistic and TGD people are at a much higher risk of suicide and related behaviors. In 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care recognized autistic people as a priority group in their Suicide Prevention Strategy for England: 2023 to 2028.
The new study found autistic cisgender people were 4.6 times more likely, and autistic TGD people were 5.8 times more likely to report self-harm compared to non-autistic cisgender people.
Dr. Elizabeth Weir from the Autism Research Centre said the study shows that many autistic people have poor mental health and are at high risk of suicide-related behaviors. She emphasized the need to consider how gender and other aspects of identity influence these risks.
The results highlight the importance of considering intersectionality in clinical settings and being aware of health risks for those with multiple marginalized identities. Researchers say clinicians should recognize these risks and the unique barriers to healthcare that autistic TGD people face.
The findings also show that autistic transgender/gender-diverse individuals have particularly high rates of mental health conditions and self-harm risks.
Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre, added that healthcare systems need to adapt to meet the needs of autistic transgender/gender diverse people. He called for collaboration between policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and autistic individuals to improve healthcare systems and reduce barriers.
Journal Reference:
- Green, K., Weir, E., Wright, L., et al. Autistic and transgender/gender diverse people’s experiences of health and healthcare. Molecular Autism 16, 4 (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00634-0
Source: Tech Explorist
