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Should I tell my doctor?

Started by Derpy, November 07, 2015, 05:24:30 AM

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Derpy

Hey,
I hope you're feeling well :)
I am 20 yo and pre-everything FtM.
So, lately I had some health issue (nothing bad, but I needed to go often to my doctor) and my dysphoria increased too. As I am going more often than before to my doctor we've been talking a lot about whatever crossed our mind (school i.e.). It made me feeling more confortable about going to the doctor (I was always afraid) and I was thinking about telling him about dysphoria and how I feel about my gender. The issue is that all my family goes to that doctor: my father, my brother, my mother, my grandparents on the motherside and my aunt. I am afraid he would tell my parents or anyone else, but I think he could help me finding a psychiatric who could help me.
I live in France and if I want to see a psychiatric I need to have a letter from my doctor and if I want to be on T I need to have seen a gender psychiatric for at least 2 years on a regular basis (once or twice a month I think).
Sorry if that's long and difficult ^^ Health system in France is kinda complicate and they are always changing everything...
Thanks for your help ^^
Love you all and hugs~~
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Mr.X

I don't know anything about the law in France, but I reckon the doctor is also bound by confidentiality. This means that whatever you tell him, he is not allowed to pass this information on to others. So if you feel like telling him and he would tell your parents, he would actually be breaking the law.

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Derpy

Ok so I can tell him I guess :) he is bound by confidentiality too, exept if it is an information that could be cause of death i.e.
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Peep

Go for it! I try to always hope for the best from people, and worry about the negatives when they happen. You never know until you try...
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Derpy

Great idea! I have to go see him very soon and I'll talk about it with him :)
I think I'll print him some articles and I'll bring some books I have about what dysphoria is, legal stuff, things doctors said about it so if he could know everything about it :) French doctors are not really aware of trans issue, so I might need to "educate" him
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Peep

Quote from: Derpy on November 07, 2015, 11:25:56 AM
Great idea! I have to go see him very soon and I'll talk about it with him :)
I think I'll print him some articles and I'll bring some books I have about what dysphoria is, legal stuff, things doctors said about it so if he could know everything about it :) French doctors are not really aware of trans issue, so I might need to "educate" him

Yeah it's a good idea to bring information with you, there are probably WPATH guidelines for your area that you can find. I was a bit shy about bringing stuff in case my doctor was offended, but it turned out that she hadn't read the guidelines and was glad i brought them.
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Mr.X

If he really does not know much about it, you could always ask if he could refer you to a doctor who does know more about it. It is very nice you would educate him, as he would learn a great deal and this would open doors for other trans patients. But as a patient, you should never need to educate your doctor. He may not know anything about trans stuff, but he should be able to find out where you can go for someone more qualified.
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Tristyn

I know a couple of folks here already said this, but if France is like the States, then your doc has no choice but to keep your gender identity confidential unless he is that desperate to sacrifice his license as a doc forever and ever. In fact, anything discussed in the doc's office dealing with your health should always be confidential.

I came out to a few of my health practitioners(I see alot more of them than most people due to having so many different illnesses).

And from my experiences with this, they seemed very receiving of it. Far more receiving than my family ever was...

~Nixy~
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Derpy

In France doctors and society is really not openminded about trans*.. Some doctors knows well about it but in Paris, which very far away from where I live (I can make it in 2 hours of train, but it is very very expensive)... So I think the best I can do is help him educate if needed :) but he seems really openminded so maybe he knows some stuff already :)

Love you all and hugs~~
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