Last week, in honor of National LGBT Health Awareness Week, we released a preview of this resource highlighting nine facts about sexual and reproductive health for transgender people. Too often, transgender people don’t seek medical care out of fear of discrimination or harassment. Other times, they don’t receive adequate care because their providers are unsure about what questions should be asked, or what screenings or treatments are needed. The resource, Transgender Sexual and Reproductive Health: Unmet Needs and Barriers to Care, provides an overview of what providers can do to improve care.

In NCTE and the Task Force’s National Transgender Discrimination Survey, 50% of the transgender respondents said they had to teach their health care provider about appropriate care. “That number is just staggering considering the progress the medical community has made around our health,” said Mara Keisling, NCTE executive director. “More and more health care providers know who trans people are, and I hope that they use this resource to step up their level of care.”

In addition to providing information about trans sexual and reproductive health needs and experiences, the resource makes a series of policy recommendations for providers, health organizations, and government agencies urging them to:

Follow accepted medical guidelines from the American Congress of Obstreticians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

Adopt policies of respect and nondiscrimination.

Train staff and providers on cultural competence and nondiscrimination.

Revise Title X family planning grant guidelines for to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation and to address the cultural and clinical needs of transgender patients.

Eliminate public policies that require sterilization procedures for trans people.

NCTE has released this resource as a supplementary document to the health care “know your rights” guide published last week. The guide, Health Care Rights and Transgender People outlines the health care protections transgender people have, and the process for reporting instances of discrimination.

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