Finding a healthcare provider who not only understands transgender people but is also affirming and experienced is like finding a unicorn. While some providers know the basics, caregivers who go above and beyond are far too rare. It can be hard to tell which clinics will be a good fit and which ones are a nightmare. How do you know who’s safe and who to skip?
As trans people, many of us are put in a position where we have to be the expert in the room, when it comes to our healthcare. Dr. Jerrica Kirkley told the Advocate, “Trans patients shouldn’t need a medical degree to get the care we need. In countless ways, the current system fails to treat transgender patients with respect and dignity, often refusing them care or undermining their efforts to advocate for their own needs.”
Because we are undersupported and underserved, many transgender people give up looking for someone who gets it. Others try to lifehack healthcare by cherry picking from different options or trying to customize a care plan from what’s available. Instead, we have some suggestions that may make navigating gender-affirming care a little easier, no matter where you are on your journey.
Where To Start When You’re Searching For Gender-Affirming Care
It might be tempting to look on informal message boards or take advice from strangers on social media. The dark web may seem like the simplest solution, but it’s unsafe, especially if you want to transition using gender-affirming hormonal therapy (GAHT) or other medications. (Seriously, skip it.) These shortcuts can create problems that are easy to avoid or even make you sick.
Instead, use the WPATH directory to look for legitimate providers. WPATH is the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Their membership is international and includes many transgender healthcare providers, as well as non-trans caregivers who are dedicated to serving our community. You can use this massive directory to find someone in your country, state, and city. Narrow your search by selecting “Internal Medicine/Family Practice/Primary Care” in the specialty option drop-down menu. You can also choose “only show certified members” to see the list of providers who have gone through WPATH’s certification program and are current with the organization.
The directory shows a provider’s name, specialties, city and state, and a brief profile. While there is no contact information on the site, you can search for the provider and their clinic using Google or another search engine. The directory is a great resource because it includes pre-screened medical professionals. This helps take some of the guesswork out of your search. (And hopefully some of the stress, too!)
Think Local and Use Trans Resources In Your Own Backyard
When in doubt, reach out to your local LGBTQ resource center. Queer folks love to talk and share our experiences, so if you aren’t sure who everyone else is going to—ask! Calling or visiting your local Q Center, trans health hotline, or other resource will put you in touch with community members who have details you won’t find on Google. You can even reach out to places like Planned Parenthood and ask for a referral, since local healthcare providers often network with one another.
Put your existing care providers to work, too. Talk to your gynecologist, dentist, GP, therapist, naturopath—whoever! If they’re already providing care, then they might be able to suggest other trans-affirming practitioners. These types of providers, who are already in your circle of trust, might also be able to support you while you’re on your search as well. Doctors often treat one another more seriously than a prospective new patient; that means that if you’re having trouble getting on the schedule at a new clinic or you’re not sure if someone is trans-affirming, you can ask your GP to do that work for you. No guarantee that they’ll say yes, but a little bit of help at that higher level can open doors. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
Don’t Forget: Plume Is Here For You Too
Yes, Plume is your gender-affirming care resource too! You can contact Plume if you have literally any questions about gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). We are active in most states and our members enjoy accessible, on-demand care from a team who supports your unique, individual needs. We are designed to be low-barrier healthcare, so we can serve as many trans people as possible. So far, we are set up to help people with gender-affirming medication prescriptions, medical letters, counseling, community support, digital video appointments, lab tests, ongoing progress monitoring, letters for name or gender marker changes, medical letters of support for surgery, injection instruction and live injection support, and access to a trans-led healthcare team. We are planning to expand these services because we know how life-changing healthcare can be for our community.
If the monthly Plume membership fee isn’t doable for you, our HRT Access Fund offers a year of free GAHT to recipients, including counseling, letters for name and gender marker changes and surgeries, and follow-up appointments like blood tests. Recipients also have their prescription costs covered, and they can text our trans-led healthcare team, 24/7. (If you want to apply, the deadline this year is June 30, 2021. The grant renews every year, so it will reopen next June.)
In our community, we take care of us. At Plume, we are dedicated to lowering barriers for transgender people. We want to end discrimination in healthcare, and that means empowering trans people to choose our own health care providers and live authentically on our own terms. We want to uplift caregivers who center and honor our needs and make sure every trans person who wants it, has support available on demand. It shouldn’t be complicated—so we keep healthcare simple. When trans people live healthy, full, self-determined lives, we are all stronger.