In 2018, we published our fact sheet, Transgender Health & Medical-Legal Partnerships. Though the approach to using medical-legal partnerships to meet the needs of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people remains a core tool for addressing the social determinants of health for this population, the legal and legislative landscape has changed drastically in recent years. In addition to navigating insurance coverage; medical decision-making; legal name and gender marker changes; and discrimination in education, employment, housing/shelter, and public accommodations; TGD people now face stepped-up efforts to restrict their access to health care more broadly, including denial of gender-affirming care, and restrictions on accessing public spaces and speech.
Learning Resources — Publications in Transgender Health
Integrated Behavioral Health Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse People: An Affirming, Harm Reduction, and Trauma Responsive Approach
Integrated behavioral health care cannot eliminate all barriers and health inequities experienced by transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people. It can, however, serve as a bridge to overall wellness, and can fulfill functions associated with primary care, and in doing so, can represent a low-barrier, harm reduction method of meeting patients’ needs. It can provide a setting to address mental health concerns that may arise from the process of negotiating one’s identity as a TGD person, being denied certain forms of health care, or navigating spaces where one’s value is diminished. Integrated behavioral health care can also help to facilitate the initiation and management of gender-affirming hormone therapy, thereby reducing the need for referrals to specialty providers, eliminating wait times, and enhancing patient and provider satisfaction.
- Filed under
- Behavioral Health
- Transgender Health
Engaging the Families of Transgender and Gender Diverse Children | 2021
This publication engages pediatric primary care providers, mental health providers, health center administrators and support staff in learning how to actively engage families in the support of their transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children, with the aim of improving the health outcomes for TGD youth. Providers will learn best practices for serving the families of TGD youth, and strategies for successfully providing resources and referrals in response to a variety of family and patient needs and priorities.
- Filed under
- LGBTQIA+ Children and Youth
- Transgender Health
Medical Care of Trans and Gender Diverse Adults
The Fenway Health Transgender Health Program (THP) produced these protocols for clinicians in primary care settings to best serve their Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) patients. The mission of Fenway Health is to enhance the wellbeing of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities and all people in our neighborhood and beyond. As part of that larger mission, the THP seeks to promote and support knowledgeable and comprehensive care to TGD persons in an environment that is comfortable, safe, and affirming.
Neurodiversity & Gender-Diverse Youth: An Affirming Approach to Care 2020
This publication provides insight from qualitative research and clinical experience into the unique experience of gender-diverse, neurodiverse youth.
Affirmative Services for Transgender and Gender Diverse People – Best Practices for Frontline Health Care Staff
This publication provides best practices and guidance for frontline healthcare staff on how to best serve transgender and gender diverse patients. Topics covered include gender affirming language, asking about sexual orientation and gender identity data, asking for name and pronouns used, and more. The publication features a quick-reference sheet that can be removed and posted in a workspace.
Creating a Transgender Health Program at Your Health Center
In this guide, we provide a framework for building a health program for transgender and gender diverse patients at your health center. There is no "one size fits all" approach to this work, but there are certain building blocks from which to create your own program that supports the gender diverse people in your community.
- Filed under
- Organizational Change
- Transgender Health
Fact Sheet: Transgender Health and Medical-Legal Partnerships
This fact sheet describes common social and legal needs that affect the health of transgender individuals, and ways integrated legal services can help meet those needs. It examines medical-legal partnership programs at three health care organizations and how they operate, and it shares stories of people benefiting from medical-legal partnership services.
- Filed under
- Organizational Change
- Transgender Health
Caring for Transgender People with Severe Mental Illness
Transgender people, like the general population, can suffer from a variety of common and rare severe mental health illnesses (SMI). This brief will cover recommendations on caring for this high-risk population.
- Filed under
- Behavioral Health
- Transgender Health
Providing Affirmative Care for Patients with Non-binary Gender Identities
All members of a health care organization—front-line staff members, clinicians, and administrators—play a crucial role in offering an inclusive, affirming experience for all people, including those with non-binary gender identities. Everyone, no matter their gender identity or expression, appreciates friendly, courteous, and effective care. In addition, non-binary people, who have gender identities other than male or female, have unique needs when interacting with the health care system. Non-binary people face numerous health disparities as well as stigma, discrimination, and a lack of access to quality care. However, you do not need to specialize in non-binary health care to give your non-binary patients an affirming experience.
