What health care providers need to know...
We offer a wide range of continuing education classes to medical professionals that help teach the importance of compassion and respect while serving the transgender patient.
Gender-nonconformity can have far reaching consequences, including heath care disparities and economic disenfranchisement. In addition to general health maintenance, transgender patients may have specific health concerns. These include the use of cross-sex hormones, depression, lack of social support, HIV risk and the threat of violence. Patients may delay medical care due to fear of discrimination or because they are unable to find a provider who is knowledgeable about transgender health. Most primary care providers are underprepared when it comes to caring for specific biopsychosocial issues that may be related to transgender health care.
Transgender patients are likely to face discrimination, harassment, unique health concerns and lack of medical care. Literature demonstrates that they are at greater risk of HIV infection, bias crimes, economic disenfranchisement and depression than the general population. The risk of HIV infection is particularly high among transwomen (MTF). Mental health needs are pressing, due to both the social consequences of variant gender identity and the need for mental health services for patients interested in a gender transition. Due to personal or collective experiences of humiliation at the hands of health care providers, transgender patients may delay seeking medical treatment. This can lead to serious adverse health consequences. Even patients who do seek care may be unable to find a provider who is knowledgeable about transgender issues.
TransHealth Coordinators are able to teach the value of compassion that is needed when serving this unique community. As healthcare providers, it is important not to judge or isolate any patient. We can help show the best methods of giving vital health service to transgender individuals. We offer many classes and panel seminars to help put a human face on transgender, while still defining the real needs of a unique and diverse community.
To learn more, contact us at: transgenderhealthcoordinators@yahoo.com
The following are ten suggestions for improving services for transgender people:
1.Welcome transgender people by getting the word out about your services and displaying transgender-positive cues in your office.
You can utilize LGBT community centers, services, newspapers, and Internet resources to advertise your services. Posters, buttons, stickers, and literature about transgender people can demonstrate that you are transgender-friendly. You can rewrite your intake form to include "chosen name" in addition to "legal name," as well as a third, blank option for "sex/gender" where someone can more accurately describe their gender. Andsingle-use restrooms are a welcome addition for many, including transgender people.
2. Treat transgender individuals as you would want to be treated.
You can show respect by being relaxed and courteous, avoiding negative facial reactions, and by speaking to transgender clients as you would any other patient or client.
3. Remember to always refer to transgender persons by the name and pronoun that
corresponds with their gender identity.
Use "she" for transgender women and "he" for transgender men, even if you are not in the patient’s presence.
4. If you are unsure about a person’s gender identity, or how they wish to be addressed, ask politely for clarification.
It can be uncomfortable to be confused about someone’s gender. It can also feel awkward to ask someone what their gender is. However, if you let the person know that you are only trying to be respectful; your question will usually be appreciated. For instance, youcan ask, "How would you like to be addressed?" "What name would you like to be called?" Which pronoun is appropriate?" In order to facilitate a good provider-patient relationship, it is important not to make assumptions about the identity, beliefs, concerns, or sexual orientation of transgender and gender non-conforming patients.
5. Establish an effective policy for addressing discriminatory comments and behavior in your office or organization.
Ensure that all staff in your office or organization receivestransgender cultural competency training and that there is a system for addressing inappropriateconduct.
6. Remember to keep the focus on care rather than indulging in questions out of curiosity.
In some health care situations, information about biological sex and/or hormone levels is
important for assessing risk and/or drug interactions. But in many health care situations, gender identity is irrelevant. Asking questions about one’s transgender status, if the motivation for the question is only your own curiosity and is unrelated to care, is inappropriate and can quickly create a discriminatory environment.
7. Keep in mind that the presence of a transgender person in your treatment room is not always a "training opportunity" for other health care providers.
Many transgender people have had providers call in others to observe their bodies and the interactions between a patient and health care provider, often out of an impulse to train residents or interns. However, like in other situations where a patient has a rare or unusual finding, asking a patient’s permission is a necessary first step before inviting in a colleague or trainee. For transgender patients, in particular, it is often important to maintain control over who sees you unclothed. Therefore, when patients are observed without first asking their permission, it can quickly feel like an invasion of privacy and creates a barrier to respectful, competent health care.
8. It is inappropriate to ask transgender patients about their genital status if it is unrelated to their care.
A person’s genital status—whether one has had surgery or not—does not determine that person’s gender for the purposes of social behavior, service provision, or legalstatus.
9. Never disclose a person’s transgender status to anyone who does not explicitly need the information for care.
Just as you would not needlessly disclose a person’s HIV status, aperson’s gender identity is not an item for gossip. Having it known that one is transgender canresult in ridicule and possible violence towards that individual. If disclosure is relevant to care, use discretion and inform the patient whenever possible.
10. Become knowledgeable about transgender health care issues.
Get training, stay up to date on transgender issues, and know where to access resources.
Gender-nonconformity can have far reaching consequences, including heath care disparities and economic disenfranchisement. In addition to general health maintenance, transgender patients may have specific health concerns. These include the use of cross-sex hormones, depression, lack of social support, HIV risk and the threat of violence. Patients may delay medical care due to fear of discrimination or because they are unable to find a provider who is knowledgeable about transgender health. Most primary care providers are underprepared when it comes to caring for specific biopsychosocial issues that may be related to transgender health care.
Transgender patients are likely to face discrimination, harassment, unique health concerns and lack of medical care. Literature demonstrates that they are at greater risk of HIV infection, bias crimes, economic disenfranchisement and depression than the general population. The risk of HIV infection is particularly high among transwomen (MTF). Mental health needs are pressing, due to both the social consequences of variant gender identity and the need for mental health services for patients interested in a gender transition. Due to personal or collective experiences of humiliation at the hands of health care providers, transgender patients may delay seeking medical treatment. This can lead to serious adverse health consequences. Even patients who do seek care may be unable to find a provider who is knowledgeable about transgender issues.
TransHealth Coordinators are able to teach the value of compassion that is needed when serving this unique community. As healthcare providers, it is important not to judge or isolate any patient. We can help show the best methods of giving vital health service to transgender individuals. We offer many classes and panel seminars to help put a human face on transgender, while still defining the real needs of a unique and diverse community.
To learn more, contact us at: transgenderhealthcoordinators@yahoo.com
The following are ten suggestions for improving services for transgender people:
1.Welcome transgender people by getting the word out about your services and displaying transgender-positive cues in your office.
You can utilize LGBT community centers, services, newspapers, and Internet resources to advertise your services. Posters, buttons, stickers, and literature about transgender people can demonstrate that you are transgender-friendly. You can rewrite your intake form to include "chosen name" in addition to "legal name," as well as a third, blank option for "sex/gender" where someone can more accurately describe their gender. Andsingle-use restrooms are a welcome addition for many, including transgender people.
2. Treat transgender individuals as you would want to be treated.
You can show respect by being relaxed and courteous, avoiding negative facial reactions, and by speaking to transgender clients as you would any other patient or client.
3. Remember to always refer to transgender persons by the name and pronoun that
corresponds with their gender identity.
Use "she" for transgender women and "he" for transgender men, even if you are not in the patient’s presence.
4. If you are unsure about a person’s gender identity, or how they wish to be addressed, ask politely for clarification.
It can be uncomfortable to be confused about someone’s gender. It can also feel awkward to ask someone what their gender is. However, if you let the person know that you are only trying to be respectful; your question will usually be appreciated. For instance, youcan ask, "How would you like to be addressed?" "What name would you like to be called?" Which pronoun is appropriate?" In order to facilitate a good provider-patient relationship, it is important not to make assumptions about the identity, beliefs, concerns, or sexual orientation of transgender and gender non-conforming patients.
5. Establish an effective policy for addressing discriminatory comments and behavior in your office or organization.
Ensure that all staff in your office or organization receivestransgender cultural competency training and that there is a system for addressing inappropriateconduct.
6. Remember to keep the focus on care rather than indulging in questions out of curiosity.
In some health care situations, information about biological sex and/or hormone levels is
important for assessing risk and/or drug interactions. But in many health care situations, gender identity is irrelevant. Asking questions about one’s transgender status, if the motivation for the question is only your own curiosity and is unrelated to care, is inappropriate and can quickly create a discriminatory environment.
7. Keep in mind that the presence of a transgender person in your treatment room is not always a "training opportunity" for other health care providers.
Many transgender people have had providers call in others to observe their bodies and the interactions between a patient and health care provider, often out of an impulse to train residents or interns. However, like in other situations where a patient has a rare or unusual finding, asking a patient’s permission is a necessary first step before inviting in a colleague or trainee. For transgender patients, in particular, it is often important to maintain control over who sees you unclothed. Therefore, when patients are observed without first asking their permission, it can quickly feel like an invasion of privacy and creates a barrier to respectful, competent health care.
8. It is inappropriate to ask transgender patients about their genital status if it is unrelated to their care.
A person’s genital status—whether one has had surgery or not—does not determine that person’s gender for the purposes of social behavior, service provision, or legalstatus.
9. Never disclose a person’s transgender status to anyone who does not explicitly need the information for care.
Just as you would not needlessly disclose a person’s HIV status, aperson’s gender identity is not an item for gossip. Having it known that one is transgender canresult in ridicule and possible violence towards that individual. If disclosure is relevant to care, use discretion and inform the patient whenever possible.
10. Become knowledgeable about transgender health care issues.
Get training, stay up to date on transgender issues, and know where to access resources.
