JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Access to care that affirms their entire self is essential, especially for gender-diverse individuals. Gender-affirming care includes medical, social, and non-medical supports to affirm gender identity.

Objective:

This study qualitatively examined the importance of social and non-medical gender-affirming services, as described by gender-diverse community members.

Methods:

Thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data from five participants with experiences accessing gender-affirming care in Nova Scotia between October and November 2023.

Results:

Participants included transgender and/or non-binary individuals who highlighted the significance of social and non-medical gender-affirming care over traditional medical interventions. Participants stressed the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and accessing supportive communities, which is crucial in navigating transphobic environments without support. Many felt abandoned by public systems and resorted to passing as cisgender due to barriers like cost in accessing gender-affirming resources. Internet platforms like TikTok provided valuable guidance, supplementing limited access to medical gender-affirming care. Participants emphasized a crucial need for healthcare providers to understand basic gender-affirming care, including respect for preferred pronouns and gender identities.

Conclusions:

This study found that members of the gender-diverse community significantly value social and non-medical gender-affirming care services with respect to their well-being. Findings underscore the complex interplay between social support, healthcare access, and resilience in transgender and/or non-binary individuals' lives. This work can aid in exploring how best to educate providers in gender-inclusive care and enable increased access to all forms of care that can help affirm an individual’s gender.