More needs to be done to support transgender medical care in Canada, said a new commentary in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) published this week.
The article was authored by physicians Katie Ross and Sarah Fraser, associated with the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Humanities Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS.
The authors wrote that "although access to gender-affirming care has increased in Canada in recent years, substantial wait times and care gaps remain."
The article further stated there are minimally invasive medical procedures - such as hair removal and cosmetic facial injection - that are relatively safe and can help to achieve a desired aesthetic for transgender people, but not all provinces are on board in funding such procedures through provincial health insurance.
The authors openly questioned why there is such a discrepancy.
"Public funding for such procedures, which are currently funded in only two jurisdictions in Canada (Yukon, Manitoba), warrants serious consideration in all provinces and territories," the authors wrote.
"Minimally invasive procedures such as facial injectables and hair removal warrant consideration for public health care funding across Canadian jurisdictions," they added.
"The 2022 World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care Version 8 (WPATH SOC8) states that along with hormonal therapy for people wishing to transition, hair removal and facial surgeries are appropriate interventions for gender-affirming care," the article continued.
Further to that, the authors wrote that an increased level of care has to recognize the increase in the number of people who identify as transgender.
"In the 2021 Canadian National Census, more than 100,800 people living in Canada reported identifying as transgender or nonbinary. Although access to gender-affirming care has increased in Canada in recent years, substantial wait times and care gaps remain," said the study.
The report also quoted a recent Trans PULSE Report that reviewed specific health concerns for nonbinary people; 59 per cent of survey respondents reported being misgendered daily (e.g., being referred to as he/him after explicitly stating that their preferred pronouns are they/them). The Trans PULSE report said these are the sorts of things that lead to poor mental health along with thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
The full text of the CMAJ article can be found online here.
