What to Look for When Seeking Gender-Affirming Healthcare
Everyone deserves to receive dignified and respectful treatment in all of their healthcare experiences. Unfortunately, based on an individual's gender identity or sexual orientation, that doesn’t always happen.
People in the LGBTQ+ community often face more barriers than the general population when accessing healthcare services because it can be difficult to find practices that meet their specific needs.
Just because a medical office has a rainbow flag hanging in their window doesn’t guarantee their LGBTQ+ patients feel safe and affirmed.
The terms “gender-friendly practice” and “gender-affirming practice” are used to describe healthcare services that transgender people of all ages receive, including mental health care, medical care, and social services (Human Rights Campaign).
A panel discussion held recently in our home location reviewed what LGBTQ+ affirming healthcare is like in Erie PA, and the risks of not having this type of care in our community:
What’s the difference between a gender-friendly practice and a gender-affirming practice?
Practices that are gender-friendly aim to create an environment that is welcoming and accepting of all gender identities.
Some of the ways they do this are by promoting equality, respecting privacy, and avoiding any behaviors that would be considered discriminatory or exclusionary. This would include having gender-neutral bathrooms, using language that is gender-inclusive, and providing the ability for individuals to specify their preferred gender pronouns.
In short, gender-friendly practices are accepting of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Gender-affirming practices however, take a step beyond acceptance.
According to the World Health Organization, gender-affirming care is defined as health care that can include any single or combination of a number of social, psychological, behavioral or medical (including hormonal treatment or surgery) interventions designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity.
These practices recognize that gender and sexual minorities, as well as their experiences, are just as valuable as anyone else’s. They accept and understand that heteronormative standards do not apply to everyone.
“Gender-affirming care is medically necessary for the well-being of many transgender and non-binary people who experience symptoms of gender dysphoria, or distress that results from having one’s gender identity not match their sex assigned at birth” (Human Rights Campaign).
Like all other types of professional healthcare, gender-affirming care is evidence-based and provided age-appropriately, and allows transgender and non-binary individuals to live healthy lives as their true selves.
Check out the full list of major medical and mental health organizations that recognize that gender-affirming care is medically necessary on the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund website.
How do you know if a practice is gender-affirming?
The most important step to take when seeking gender-affirming care is to do your research. While researching, consider things like the provider’s approach, expertise, knowledge, communication style, and how they generally make you feel.
Look for Inclusive Language
One of the most effective ways that requires little research to determine if a practice is gender-affirming is by looking at the language they use.
Do they use gender-inclusive language? Do they list the pronouns of the people on their website? Do they mention anything about their experience working with transgender people? If you speak to the staff, do they ask what your pronouns are?
Visit the practice and take a look at their intake form. Is there an option to write the name and pronouns you prefer to use? Do the boxes for gender only include male and female or are there multiple options for gender identity? If you don’t find these things on the intake form, it’s okay to leave and look elsewhere since the form is given to you before the appointment.
Ask Questions
If you’re not comfortable visiting the office to see the intake form, call the practice and ask questions! Jamie J. Leclaire from Rewire News Group lists some great examples of questions you can ask:
What training does the doctor have in transgender medicine?
What training does the staff have in trans-competent care?
How many transgender patients have you worked with? Transmasculine? Transfeminine? Nonbinary?
What literature have you consumed on transgender health care?
Do you have any patient testimonials?
What, if any, kind of gender-transition care (like hormones, or providing physician letters for name changes) do you offer?
It’s probably best to keep looking if they aren’t able to answer these questions.
Ask around your community as well! Have conversations with others in the LGBTQ+ and transgender community to find recommendations from those who have had good experiences.
If you’re able to get some recommendations, you can look into scheduling a personal consultation before committing to a provider to help you feel them out and see if they’re a good fit for you.
Other Things to Consider
If you don’t know of anyone to ask directly, seek out LGBTQ+ and transgender support groups and online communities. You can also check online reviews to read the experiences of other patients. Search for reviews on social media and places like Google Reviews, Yelp, or healthcare-specific review websites like HealthGrades.com.
It’s also important to contact your insurance provider to understand what coverage you have and to identify which practices accept your insurance.
Lastly, use these directories as a guide to help you determine if a healthcare practice is gender-affirming:
Support in the Erie Community:
The LGBT Funds of the Erie Community Foundation
The LGBT Funds of the Erie Community Foundation includes scholarships, program grants, and funding of grassroots initiatives to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals and advance the LGBTQ+ community in the Erie region. These funds support programs and activities that:
Make the region a more welcoming environment by promoting equity and inclusiveness for LGBTQ+ individuals
Acknowledge and address inequalities that the LGBTQ+ community faces in health and wellness, safety, and opportunity.
“The LGBT Funds put the power of philanthropy to work to address issues that LGBTQ+ people face every day.”
Learn more about The LGBT Funds of the Erie Community Foundation, or learn more about the Erie Community Foundation on their website.
Greater Erie Alliance for Equality, Inc. (GEAE)
The Greater Erie Alliance for Equality is a non-profit organization that is committed to improving the well-being of the region’s LGBTQ+ community and its allies in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Through a range of educational initiatives, social gatherings, and service opportunities, GEAE aims to foster a stronger collective voice and enhance the overall quality of life in the region for the LGBTQ+ community.
They are responsible for hosting various symposiums in the community, LGBT Competency Training for businesses, scholarships, and an extensive list of resources for those in the LGBTQ+ community on their website.
Learn more about the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality, Inc. (GEAE) on their website.
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