Now here is something that ever trans-person knows; doctors are not trained to treat transgendered patients. Science Daily reports that,
The same is true for therapist; many of them have no training and treating trans-patients. I know that when I was going for my masters in social work there were no classes for treating LGBT patients. I do know that they continuing education classes on the subject and I have been offering workshop at conferences for therapists on cultural competence and there are a few other trans-people who are also giving training on cultural competence to healthcare professionals.
Transgender Medical Research, Provider Education LackingI don’t know how many trans-people have contacted me asking if I know of any trans-friendly doctors or how many trans-people have been turned away by a doctor because they don’t want any trans-patients. Medical schools might give at the most three or four hours on cultural competence but I doubt that they cover anything else in the colleges.
Dec. 11, 2013 — As a result of the limited transgender medical training offered at medical schools, very few physicians possess the knowledge needed to treat transgendered patients. This circumstance is the topic of a paper in this month's issue Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity.
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There are approximately 900,000 transgender persons living in the U.S. These individuals have a unique set of medical needs because their gender identities do not correlate with their biological sex. Medical interventions such as hormone therapy are required to appropriately and safely address the health of transgender patients.
According to Safer while many of the treatment regimens for transgender patients are fairly straightforward, very few physicians have the knowledge needed to treat these individuals. In fact, many physicians share the misconception that transgender treatment is a psychological issue and that gender identity can be reversed -- an assumption that has been discredited.
The same is true for therapist; many of them have no training and treating trans-patients. I know that when I was going for my masters in social work there were no classes for treating LGBT patients. I do know that they continuing education classes on the subject and I have been offering workshop at conferences for therapists on cultural competence and there are a few other trans-people who are also giving training on cultural competence to healthcare professionals.
It doesn't look like anything has changed over many, many years.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad and so sad.