https://www.health.govt.nz/ou
r-work/hospitals-and-specialist-
care/high-cost-treatment-pool
). Each DHB has own local
guidelines and these can be
found on Health Pathways.
Most transgender people seek
to make their gender expression
(how they look) match their
gender identity (who they are)
rather than their sex assigned at
birth. The transition process
includes ID, social, medical, and
legal, as well as physical change.
This can be a really difficult sea
to navigate and these folk need
tools to help them get through
this including; recognition of
their place on the journey;
support to access information;
respect.
Trans individuals are twice as
likely to be unable to access
healthcare, possibly due to lack
of anonymity in smaller
communities; possibly because
an individual does not identify
with the gender choices
available, e.g. provision of
toilets, choices on forms, etc.
Awareness of gender diversity is
the key to providing holistic
healthcare.
So, heteronormative is the
norm, but healthcare needs to
consider its place in supporting
and providing for the Rainbow
community. I was left thinking
about the following:
•
•
•
•
What do we need to do
as an organisation to
support these patients?
What do we need to do
as individuals?
Need to be doubly alert
for restrictive culture,
e.g. white, middle class,
binary, older narrow
language
Include them, e.g. which
pronoun do they prefer,
preferred name, what
•
•
•
•
•
does it mean for them,
etc.
How to do this in 15
minutes.
Does it matter to me
what gender identity
someone has, when we
are providing care it
shouldn’t matter.
Some health issues
directly relate to the sex
of the individual.
Where
does
our
environment
place
blocks
for
this
community?
Does society provide
choices for all genders,
or is it restrictive and
obstructive?
I haven’t quite immersed myself
in the stormy sea, but I think I’ve
definitely got my foot in it now.
Here are some useful links to information which may help you have a greater understanding
of gender diversity:
https://insideout.ry.org.nz/ - videos with people speaking their own words. We all belong.
https://www.ry.org.nz/education/
http://www.ianz.org.nz/ - intersex awareness NZ
http://www.tiwhanawhana.com/ - Takatāpui, in modern terminology is a Māori individual
that identifies as Queer, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans.
http://transstudent.org/ - Canadian website with many resources.
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/delivering-health-
services-transgender-people
September 2018 L.O.G.I.C
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