Health Needs of Transgender People Poorly Understood

[Briana]

Duh, right?  Actually, this is the title of a continuing education class I took this morning.  The physician presenter is from UC Irvine.  It started off with a brief discussion about how the TG community has become more visible now due to all the media attention on bathroom/locker room use. And then it drifted to what we all know - healthcare can suck for TG people at times.  Most of the time really.  Anyway, it was good to see this topic discussed and honestly, about time.  I take a lot of continuing education and over the years I've found very very few classes that have anything to do with the care of TG people.  Sad really...

[VickySGV]

Back in April, I was a guest panelist at the USC Keck Medical School on the subject of Transgender Care for the first year medical students in a medical ethics class.  For many of them it was the first time they knowingly have met a Transgender person.  I could see minds and probably some hearts opening in the 25 minutes I had.  Some questions I got gave me hope for the medical care future of Trans* people because they were honest and not challenging to my existence. 

[Charlize]

We have been fortunate in that there are several hospitals in the NJ area which are making a major effort to include us and our needs.  Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick is quite active as is the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philly which serves much of the South Jersey area as well as PA.  Hopefully other institutions will step up as publicity an need shows itself.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Briana]

Vicky, that's good to hear.  Many schools are FINALLY making it a part of their curriculum.  What's surprising is how many still don't, or it's minimally covered at best.