The #ACARepeal bill defunds @plannedparenthood,
one of the country’s top providers of trans-affirming healthcare #StandWithPP
A groundbreaking survey was released last week. Developed by the Mayo Clinic and Endocrine Society, it’s the first-ever report measuring American doctors’ “confidence levels and willingness to treat transgender patients.”
It’s a well-known fact that transgender people face huge disparities in healthcare access, from being mistreated or misgendered to not having access to any health services at all. Not surprisingly, the survey of more than 400 clinicians and program directors found that most hormone doctors – 81% – had never received any kind of training on treating trans patients.
Among program directors, 72 percent said they provide some kind of education on transgender health topics, and 94 percent said this training is important. However, the program directors said they struggled to educate their fellows on these issues because they don’t have enough experienced faculty to teach the subject. […]
Of the minority of doctors who said they did receive training, only 4 percent said they got it during medical school, while only 7 percent said they were trained during their residency. The majority of teachers who received specialization got it during their endocrinology fellowship (58 percent), while 53 percent learned more at local, national or international meetings.
Obviously, a lack of training is no excuse for treating a transgender patient with disrespect (or worse). As more and more trans people come out and seek medically necessary, sometimes life-saving healthcare, it is a doctor’s responsibility to know what steps to take to help, and to take those steps with compassion. It’s time for med schools, residency programs, and doctors who don’t think before they speak to get with the picture.
