Patients described dismissive, uncomfortable family doctors, office staff losing critical referral documents and therapists asking inappropriate personal questions, according to new research papers
LGBTQ+ activists protest Senate Bill 14, that would ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender children, at the Texas Capitol, on May 12, 2023, in Austin, Tex.Transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people continue to encounter significant resistance from health care providers, according to two new research papers shedding light on patients’ experiences across Canada.
Whether subtle or overt, the unprofessional exchanges left patients feeling anxious and frustrated. Many didn’t speak up: they were counting on these providers for care, including major surgeries. The research involved in-depth interviews with 21 transgender and non-binary patients across Canada. Many talked about having to justify their need for health care or becoming their own caseworkers to navigate labyrinthian bureaucracies to land care. Trans and non-binary patients felt on edge, uncertain of what they were walking into – and aware
For some respondents, the mistrust extended to general surgeries unrelated to gender identity, with some going into “stealth mode,” not revealing to health care staff they’re trans or non-binary. “They wanted their care team to focus on the problem at hand, instead of getting distracted,” Dr. MacCormick said.
This research involved interviews with 15 urban, suburban and rural patients who underwent penile-inversion vaginoplasty procedures at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto since 2019. The researchers asked respondents about their experiences across the health care system, from visits to family doctors and walk-in clinics, to counselling appointments to blood work collection at labs.
For years, transgender and non-binary patients have found themselves bringing physicians up to speed on gender affirming care, scenarios that erode trust, said Todd Coleman, who has researched LGBTQ+ health and health care since 2007 but was not involved in the current papers.
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