SciAm: Trans Patients Deserve Better Medical Care

[Carolyn Marie]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/transgender-patients-deserve-better-medical-care/

 

 

I could not agree more.

 

Carolyn Marie

[Davie]

@Carolyn Marie Yes, a fine article about folks really getting to the heart of the matter with thorough advocacy but more so with medical doctor training for physicians in schools to learn how to help transgender patients. It's against the law to refuse medical care to any transgender person, but many doctors are embarrassed and are not trained to deal with them. So often trans patients feel dissed and rejected in a medical office where they should get help.

"You have to be carefully taught"

 

--Davie 

[Charlize]

There is a big gap in care for trans folks largely but not completely due to where we are located.  It seems that from my experience it is so connected to the caregivers belief or training.  I have been both given very supportive care as well as being made to feel ridiculous in the same hospital.  Doctors and nurses are human and while they may not see it their " bedside manner" is tremendously important.  It seems to be getting better but to some extent that is because i have been able to find accepting caregivers over time.   As society changes its attitude accepting care will hopefully become universal.   

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[KathyLauren]

We have it pretty good here.  Discrimination against trans people is prohibited at both the national and provincial levels, and courts have ruled that there are no religious exemptions to that.  We have government-funded medical care, including GCS coverage.

 

Yet, there are very few medical doctors who have any knowledge at all about trans health care.  My GP is supportive, but doesn't have the knowledge.  I have to go to a doctor in the city, and hour and a half's drive, for my HRT prescription.  There is no doctor in the province who can properly diagnose GCS problems.  They can diagnose infections and hyper-granulation, but have no ideas when it comes to mysterious pains.  You almost have to be your own doctor, because the ones with the certificates aren't much help.

 

On my next checkup with my local GP, I am going to ask her is she would consider getting some basic WPATH training on HRT prescriptions. 

[Carolyn Marie]

12 hours ago, Davie said:

It's against the law to refuse medical care to any transgender person,

 

 

I wish that were so, Davie.  But several states have passed laws giving doctors the right to refuse service to people if doing so is against their religious or moral beliefs.

 

Even in California, which prohibits such discrimination, individual doctors can decline to treat us for any unspecified reason; they just don't call it out.  I was turned down by my endo, who was treating me for diabetes, who said he wasn't comfortable, even when I offered to help train him.  My HMO took several weeks to find a willing, and also untrained, endocrinologist.  At least in her case she was willing to learn.

 

We have a long way to go.

 

Carolyn Marie