Post by Ayla on Jan 28, 2016 6:16:30 GMT 8
A local transgender rights advocate says he is not surprised to hear results of a new study that says about half of transgender Ontarians do not feel comfortable discussing transgender-related health concerns with their family doctors.
Wesley Austin transitioned from a woman to a man seven years ago. He said at the time, he did get some resistance from his doctor.
"I've had a lot of challenges, fewer than most, though, I'd say I'm pretty lucky. Care in this region was really hard to come by when I was first transitioning. My family doctor at the time was not knowledgeable at all about transgender issues," he told The Morning Edition host Craig Norris Wednesday morning. "I think some of it was resistance and a lot of it was just lack of knowledge."
Austin said many doctors don't seem to realize they are capable and legally allowed to prescribe hormonal therapy for their transgender patients. Instead, a lot of doctors think they need to get letters from the gender identity clinic at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.
"I've heard from a lot of folks in our trans community who don't have a family doctor and who are looking for one but want one, that if not familiar with trans issues, is at least open to learning about them and open to supporting them as they transition and that care is really hard to come by," Austin said.
"There are a couple of doctors in the area whose specialty is turning out to be trans medicine," he said. "On the whole, that is still the exception."
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/local-access-healthcare-transgender-patients-1.3421756
Wesley Austin transitioned from a woman to a man seven years ago. He said at the time, he did get some resistance from his doctor.
"I've had a lot of challenges, fewer than most, though, I'd say I'm pretty lucky. Care in this region was really hard to come by when I was first transitioning. My family doctor at the time was not knowledgeable at all about transgender issues," he told The Morning Edition host Craig Norris Wednesday morning. "I think some of it was resistance and a lot of it was just lack of knowledge."
Austin said many doctors don't seem to realize they are capable and legally allowed to prescribe hormonal therapy for their transgender patients. Instead, a lot of doctors think they need to get letters from the gender identity clinic at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto.
"I've heard from a lot of folks in our trans community who don't have a family doctor and who are looking for one but want one, that if not familiar with trans issues, is at least open to learning about them and open to supporting them as they transition and that care is really hard to come by," Austin said.
"There are a couple of doctors in the area whose specialty is turning out to be trans medicine," he said. "On the whole, that is still the exception."
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/local-access-healthcare-transgender-patients-1.3421756