Comprehending Health of the Transgender Population in India Through Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Objective: In India research on health issues of transgender populations are very recent and limited though transgenders are an important sub-group of the population. Hence, this study attempts to understand the state of transgender health research in India through a systematic review of literature.Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using bibliometric analysis. Initially, 132 studies were identified, and only 37 articles meeting selection criteria were subsequently selected for review using PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The research landscape was examined with tools such as Biblioshiny, Arc-GIS (10.1), and Vos-Viewer.Results: The review highlights that existing literature on transgender health in India mainly focuses on sexual health while neglecting their overall health status. It also emphasises the skewed geographical coverage of these studies. Based on the analysis, the interdisciplinary nature of the subject is illustrated in a three-field plot and through term co-occurrence. These indicate the need for culture-specific gender-affirmative services promoting a holistic approach to comprehend the health of transgender populations in India.Conclusion: In India research on transgender health is lopsided and at an initial stage. There is a need to develop diverse research focus on various health issues of transgenders that should also be geographically representative. Future in-depth research on this subject will enable optimizing resource allocation, developing effective gender-inclusive policies, and support holistic planning for better health status of transgender people in India, and other countries with similar socio-cultural background.