Transgender and Gender-Diverse People in Canada Face Significant Barriers to Accessing Care and Surgery, Studies Find

Transgender and gender-diverse people in Canada face significant barriers to accessing care and surgery, studies find ZOSIA BIELSKI PUBLISHED 3 HOURS AGO FOR SUBSCRIBERS 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. [...] MIKALA COMPTON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 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. [...] 7/2/24, 10:27 AM Transgender and gender-diverse people in Canada face significant barriers to accessing care and surgery, studies find - The Globe … 1/6These patients, some of whom were seeking gender affirming care, shared their unsettling health care encounters, as reported in research publis [...] Many didn’t speak up: they were counting on these providers for care, including major surgeries. While many Canadians face inattentive, burned-out doctors and lengthy wait times for care, patients who experience discrimination based on their gender identity tend to have a greater distrust of medical staff, according to Hilary MacCormick, one of the paper’s lead authors. Surgery in particular is an [...] 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 7/2/24, 10:27 AM Transgender and gender-diverse people in Canada face significant barriers to accessing care and surgery, studies find - The Globe … [...] “They wanted their care team to focus on the problem at hand, instead of getting distracted,” Dr. [...] That’s worrying, the anesthesiologist said, because people who don’t seek preventative health care turn up sicker, harder to treat and end up in clogged emergency rooms. “It can be quite easy to lose trust if people aren’t compassionate and empathetic when transgender and gender diverse individuals interact with the health care system,” said Gianni Lorello, a scientist at Women’s College Research [...] 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. 7/2/24, 10:27 AM Transgender and gender-diverse people in Canada face significant barriers to accessing care and surgery, [...] MacCormick recommended more comprehensive training on transgender health at medical schools, continuing education for health care providers and stronger standards of care at hospitals around these issues. “We need individuals to be willing to reflect on their attitudes, beliefs and perspectives and how this interacts with the way they perform care,” she said. [...] Start your day with context and insight on the biggest stories shaping our lives, written by Danielle Groen SIGN UP EXPLORE NEWSLETTERS Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Related stories 7/2/24, 10:27 AM Transgender and gender-diverse people in Canada face significant barriers to accessing care and surgery, studies find - The Globe …