The World Medical Association have released new transgender healthcare guidelines for physicians urging them to increase their knowledge and sensitivity towards transgender people. Emphasising that everyone has the right to determine their own gender, delegates from almost 60 national medical associations attended the assembly in Moscow and agreed that every effort should be made to make individualised, multi -professional, interdisciplinary and affordable transgender healthcare available to all. Transgender Human Right Researcher Jack Byrne hopes the new guidelines will reduce the levels of discrimination that trans people face in general healthcare settings. “The WMA guidelines are another important step, particularly for the majority of medical professionals who do not work primarily on trans-specific health issues but may see trans people for general health needs,” he says. “If you are trans person wanting to take medical steps to transition, every step of that journey remains a challenge in New Zealand,” says Byrne. “Many trans people avoid seeing doctors because they have faced discrimination or insensitive treatment. A GP may be supportive but have very little knowledge about trans-specific health needs, including what services are available for people wanting to transition.” Byrne highlights the importance of affordability and says this is an area of concern which although mentioned in the new guidelines, causes great concern here in New Zealand. “In many parts of the country trans people are still paying for every type of support they receive, even when those procedures are available for other people in public hospitals. For the minority of trans people who have health insurance, their policies typically exclude any transition-related healthcare costs,” he says. He says that recognising that trans people have the same rights to health as everyone else is the first step in addressing these challenges. “It requires trans people being involved in identifying gaps and in developing ways to address them.” Abbi Pritchard-Jones of Gender Bridge also welcomes these new guidelines and says; “I hope there is a willingness from Healthcare providers to increase the scope and effectiveness of their interventions within the trans healthcare sector." “At present current health care systems are underfunded, often hard to access and could benefit from increased inter-disciplinary collaboration. Our communities face institutional barriers linked to stigma and discrimination from outside and within the health system. Any global efforts that recognise trans healthcare will hopefully increase the medical gaze upon our community and bring with it better healthcare outcomes for us.” She highlights access to healthcare and a lack of standardisation in the healthcare system as two of the biggest healthcare challenges faced by transgender people in New Zealand, noting a lack of training and knowledge of healthcare professionals. “Trans people should expect to receive respect and dignity in their contacts within a healthcare system,” she says, highlighting the importance of; “Referring to the transgender patient by their preferred name and pronoun, reassuring trans peoples confidentiality, creating a space where clinical staff are better educated in transgender issues - especially working with their clients around sensitive physical exams and tests - understanding the commonly used terms and the diversity of in our community and end to black and white thinking i.e. affirming peoples identities; gender fluid, non-binary etc.” Pritchard-Jones says going forward it will be crucial that health boards work with transgender communities to end current healthcare disparities and believes it is important to create a roadmap within services looking at the whole person including a cultural understanding, social issues and drug and alcohol inputs to name just a few. Chair of the New Zealand Medical Association Dr Stephen Child is currently in Moscow representing New Zealand at the assembly and as such was unavailable for comment.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Saturday, 24th October 2015 - 10:16am