Transgender People and Access to Care: Demystifying Gender Identity in the classroom, in the clinic and in the community

As the visibility and activism of transgender and gender-variant people has grown, providers are seeking ways to increase their understanding of the diversity of transgender experiences. This workshop will provide basic information and present strategies, standards of care, best practices, and resources for incorporating appropriate and effective support to your transgender clients. Our presenter is a member of the transgender community as well as a seasoned trainer who has presented on transgender awareness and health topics nationally for the past 12 years.

Learning Objectives

At the end of our workshop, participants will:

• Understand basic terminology, language and concepts of gender variant experiences including gender transition process and the role of mental health and social service providers.
• Distinguish between biological sex, gender identity and sexual orientation and ways in which care for transgender populations specifically differs from care for gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities.
• Identify current standards of care and approaches to supporting transgender clients and members of the client’s support system.
• Be able to incorporate a basic knowledge of gender identity into their current professional work, including resources for supervision and educational materials.

The Trainer

Samuel Lurie is the director of Transgender Training and Advocacy (www.tgtrain.org) and is recognized nationally as an expert on transgender issues and access to health care and prevention services. He has been active in community health for over 20 years, focusing on HIV/AIDS activism, harm reduction and empowerment in marginalized communities. Samuel has an interactive, engaging and thought-provoking training style, and has presented on transgender issues to over 26,000 providers in 28 states. He lives in Vermont, where he recently opened a private practice in mind-body health.

• Nearly 1 in 5 (19 percent) reported being refused care outright because they were transgender or gender non-conforming.
• Survey participants reported very high levels of postponing medical care when sick or injured due to discrimination and disrespect (28 percent).
• Harassment: 28 percent of respondents were subjected to harassment in medical settings.
• Significant lack of provider knowledge: 50 percent of the sample reported having to teach their medical providers about transgender care.
• Despite barriers, the majority has accessed some form of transition-related medical care, but only a minority has had any surgery, despite the fact that a strong majority stated wanting to have it someday.
• Respondents reported more than four times the national average of HIV infection, 2.64 percent in our sample compared to 0.6 percent in the general population, with rates for transgender women at 3.76 percent, and with those who are unemployed (4.67 percent) or who have engaged in sex work (15.32 percent) even higher.
• Over a quarter of the respondents reported misusing drugs or alcohol specifically to cope with the discrimination they faced due to their gender identity or expression.
• A staggering 41 percent of respondents reported attempting suicide compared to 1.6 percent of the general population.