Some background: I am a 30-year-old non-passing transman who has not yet begun to transition. I've been living below the poverty line for most of my adult life because of a combination of bad family circumstances and physical and mental health issues (I've only just gotten on Medical this month). I've had very heavy periods since puberty, and once I realized that they were medically significant a few years ago, I started looking into what could be done about both the menstrual issues and my uterus/ovaries in general (because ideally I'd like a partial hysterectomy, even if I never have bottom surgery).
For the last two years I've been going to a clinic in Modesto, CA - I just switched over to a different one because it offered more and better services - for both general healthcare and psych meds. Because I had no insurance, my options were pretty limited as far as treatments for menorrhagia - I've consistently been told (by ER doctors and several clinics) that, since I'm "too young" for a hysterectomy (and it's expensive) and can't afford ablasions, my only option is hormonal birth control. And here's where we get to the part I actually need advice about.
About two years ago, when I was twenty-eight and had just started going to the Modesto clinic, I asked about treatment options for my menorrhagia and was offered low-dose birth control. I was hesitant to accept, because I was concerned about the possible side-effects (emotional changes, breast enlargement, incontinence issues, etc). I was told (by the older male doctor, who has seemed consistently dismissive of my concerns every time I've seen him since) that I "definitely wouldn't have those problems" because it was low-dose BC, and since I had no other options, I went on birth control (Tri-Sprintec).
I was on birth control for about eight months. I got ALL of the symptoms I'd been worried about, and very little change in my periods, and at no point was I ever given a vaginal exam or told that I needed to go elsewhere to get one. I eventually gave up and stopped taking the BC because it wasn't helping. It's been about a year since then, and I'm still having emotional side effects and occasional incontinence. I literally can't watch a Disney movie without just about breaking down in tears - where previously I almost never cried, and certainly not because of movies. (I've since had a PAP smear, which was normal, but haven't yet had a chance to have my new clinic check for things like polyps.)
Here's a rundown of my menstrual symptoms/why I'm concerned that my previous clinic never examined me:
- extremely heavy bleeding (I have to use overnight pads for most of my period) for 5-6 days a month
- the bleeding stops after a few days, the discharge turns brownish, and then the bleeding starts back up after about a day with bright red blood (which can be indicative of the uterine lining not shedding properly)
- I get so anemic that my period leaves me unable to do basic chores for at least three days a month (iron supplements haven't helped enough)
- I get clots the size of quarters pretty regularly
- within the last year and a half, I've actually had to go to the ER because of menstrual cramps so painful I could hardly walk, which lasted for 5+ hours
So basically - what can I do about all this? Should I be looking into legal counsel? Can anyone point me to a trans (or general LGBT+) support group in the Turlock/Modesto area, or in the surrounding area (even as far away as San Francisco), that could help me with this process? Whether or not it becomes a lawsuit, I don't want this doctor treating anyone else the way he treated me - I don't know if his dismissive attitude is laziness, sexism/not taking menstrual issues seriously, or discrimination because I'm openly trans, but that's not how you treat a patient and reproductive health needs to be taken seriously. I should have had an exam BEFORE he put me on birth control, because BC can cover or even trigger more serious issues. I should have been taken seriously when I expressed concern about side effects, not told I wouldn't have any (when clearly that wasn't true). But I don't know how to go about addressing this at all, and no one I know does either. The only step I'm sure I should take from here is to get a thorough exam done now that I have Medical, and ask my current doctor for advice - I don't know what to do after that.
