Determinants of male healthcare utilization in Switzerland: does gender identity and migration background matter?

Men often exhibit lower rates of healthcare utilization. Particularly vulnerable groups-such as men belonging to gender minority groups and men with a migration background-may face additional barriers in accessing care. This study examined healthcare utilization patterns across diverse male gender subgroups in Switzerland, with attention to the role of migration status, while accounting for key sociodemographic factors.

We analyzed a subset of the Swiss Health Survey (SHS) 2022, a nationally representative dataset of the general Swiss population. Our sample included individuals falling into one of the three groups: cisgender men, transgender men and gender diverse assigned male at birth (AMAB) individuals (assigned male at birth and identifying as nonbinary or another gender). Healthcare utilization was assessed through the number of general practitioner (GP) and specialist physician (SP) visits, use of mental health services, and utilization of complementary medicine. Additionally, we evaluated perceived quality of care for GP and SP visits. Four regression models were conducted to examine associations between healthcare utilization, gender identity, migration background and sociodemographic characteristics.

After weighting, our study comprised 3,505,801 male cases, representing an unweighted sample size of N = 8,699. Among gender subgroups, transgender men showed higher utilization across all types of health care services, including GP and SP visits and mental health care compared to cisgender men. Gender diverse AMAB individuals reported lower use of GP and SP services, as well as complementary medicine, but higher use of mental health services. Perceived quality of GP and SP care was more often moderate or poor among gender diverse AMAB individuals. First-generation migrants used GP services slightly more frequently but accessed other services less often than men without migration background. Second-generation migrants showed similar patterns to those without migration background, except for lower use of complementary medicine. Key sociodemographic variables were associated with notable differences in health care utilization.

Healthcare utilization in Switzerland differs by male gender identity and migration background. These findings underscore the need for more inclusive, identity-sensitive healthcare with a focus on gender diverse AMAB individuals. Addressing structural and access-related barriers is essential to ensure equitable healthcare utilization among male migrant populations, especially first-generation migrants.