When we hear about trans people and healthcare, we mostly hear about hormones and surgery. But trans people are way more than just hormones and surgery.
As part of my current research, I am learning about the different types of barriers that trans people experience when accessing healthcare. To my surprise, the majority of the barriers discussed were in relation to accessing transition related care – ie hormones and surgery (among other things). I had to dig significantly deeper to find anything on the barriers that trans people face in accessing regular, every day health care.
What I realized was that this was a reflection on society’s view that trans people are one-dimensional – trans. As it turns out, trans people are more than just trans. They are parents and kids and employees and students and immigrants and homeless and artists and athletes. They are just as multi-faceted as cis people – maybe more so!
This goes for their healthcare needs as well. Sure, they need access to things that are specific to medical transition, but they also need access to basic health care. They break bones, get in accidents, have chronic conditions, and get sick just like cis people.
Since this concept seems to be difficult for the medical and research communities to grasp, I thought I would break it down into three categories to make it a bit more straightforward. Here goes.
TRANS SPECIFIC CARE
This category of health care needs is specific to being transgender. These are health care protocols, medications, and surgeries that are only accessed by and applied to trans people. Some of these were created specifically for trans people. Most were designed for cis people but have been adapted in ways that are now seen as separate protocols when used for transition purposes.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the sake of gender transition
- Chest masculinization surgery (top surgery)
- Vaginoplasty
- Orchidectomy
- Phalloplasty
- Metoidioplasty
- Facial feminization surgery (a collection of many different procedures including trachial shaving)
- Gender dysphoria diagnosis
- Psychological assistance with gender/sex incongruity
- Voice masculinization/feminization therapy
TRANS ASSOCIATED CARE
This category of health care needs refer to services that are used by trans people in the course of medical transition but are also used in the same form by cis people.
- Puberty blockers
- Electrolysis
- Hysterectomy/Salpingo-Oophorectomy
- Breast augmentation
- Breast reduction
- Liposuction/sculpting
- Scar/Skin graft care post gender affirming surgery
- Hair transplant
- Hair growth treatments
- Treatment for conditions related to bottom surgery
- Pelvic pain
- Incontinence
- Urethral stricture
- Urethral fistula
- Post-op infection
- Dilation
TRANS SENSITIVE CARE
This category refers to all healthcare needs that are not related to medical transition. These are basic healthcare needs that may or may not interact with an aspect of medical transition. For these aspects of healthcare, being trans is not the reason for or the focus of treatment but is still an important aspect of the whole person and their experiences.
- Diagnosis and management of chronic conditions
- Cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up
- Mental health support and psychiatric care
- Disability related care
- Fertility, pregnancy, birthing, postpartum, and lactation
- Emergency care
- Geriatric and end of life care
- Stroke and traumatic brain injury
- Addiction management
- Physical Therapy and other rehabilitation services
- Preventative healthcare and health promotion
- etc
If you are a cis person, think of anything you have ever needed the health care system for, or anything any of your cis family and friends have needed the health care system for. Guess what? Trans people need that care too.
It is the responsibility of the health care professional to know whether any aspect of care within their scope of practice will interact with an aspect of medical transition. For example, drug interaction with HRT medications. Even if the care is irrelevant to any aspect of medical transition or their experiences as a trans person, they still need to be treated with respect, dignitiy, and compassion in order to receive the care they need and have a positive outcome related to that care.
Check out my post about how to be a trans inclusive health care professional and find other recommendations about how to be trans affirming in the related posts below. In the coming years, I will be working on guidelines for medical researchers on how to include trans people in clinical research.
Because really, trans people may be unique in many ways but they are also people with regular, every day health care needs who deserve to have equal access to appropriate, respectful care.
Note: Trans people are by no means the only group marginalized by the health care system. People with disabilities are often reduced to their disability. People with chronic pain are often labelled as drug seekers. People who are fat/obese are reduced to a BMI category or number on a scale. None of these types of stigma are acceptable. If you are a health care professional, I challenge you to learn more about the experiences of all of these marginalized groups (and others). But if you’re overwhelmed and need a place to start, you may as well start here, with trans inclusivity.
RELATED POSTS
- How to be a Trans Inclusive Health Care Professional
- Inclusive Pregnancy and Birthing Terminology
- How to be a Trans Ally
- How to be Respectful Towards a Trans Person
- How to Ask About Someone’s Gender
- Passing vs Presenting vs Assumed
- When You Get It Wrong: How to Correct Yourself and Others When it Comes to Trans Identities
- Misgendering is More Than Name and Pronouns
- They/Them Pronouns
- Explaining Dysphoria to Cis People
- Trans Wisdom: Our Bodies Don’t Define Us
- Gender vs Sex
- Gay vs Trans