CREATING EQUAL ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR TRANSGENDER PATIENTS: TRANSGENDER-AFFIRMING HOSPITAL POLICIES

Lambda Legal Fact Sheet
Nov. 4, 2013

http://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/fs_transgender-affirming-hospital-policies

From instances of humiliation and degradation to outright refusals to provide care, many institutions – consciously or not – have made it very difficult for transgender people to receive respectful, knowledgeable treatment. The end result often has been disengagement from the health care system that results in poor health outcomes for transgender people: rather than enduring abuse and poor treatment, transgender people often simply do without health care. As a result of this disengagement, treatable medical conditions too often become emergency medical problems, a common situation in communities with suboptimal access to care. Adopting transgender-inclusive health care practices can reduce the costs associated with complications that arise when transgender patients are denied or delay medical treatment due to discrimination.

My latest hospital stay is proof of needing this type of policy. They broke almost everyone of these. Not only asking about genitals but insisting on seeing them. Incorrect pronouns, sharing with people who had no need to know, refusing to help because it was related to transgender surgery, (which it wasn't), etc.


My stay was nightmare due to my reason for being there and doubly so for the 'harassment' due to trans status.