Transgender Competent Provider
January 2019
in “
Kansas journal of medicine
”
TLDR Healthcare providers need better education and policies to serve transgender individuals effectively.
In the 2019 document by Sarah Houssayni, M.D., and Kari Nilsen, Ph.D., the health needs of transgender individuals were discussed, including the challenges they face in accessing healthcare and the high prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses within this population. The paper reported that 0.3% of US adults identify as transgender and that there has been a shift towards recognizing gender dysphoria without stigmatizing transgender individuals. It was noted that 19% of transgender individuals reported being denied healthcare, and 41% reported lifetime suicide attempts. The document provided guidelines for healthcare providers on hormonal treatments and monitoring for transgender patients, emphasizing the need for culturally competent care and the importance of screening for various health risks. The authors concluded that there is a need for more research on the benefits of sex reassignment surgery, improved medical education on transgender health, and the development of transgender health policies in hospitals to overcome medical biases and better serve the transgender community.