Virtual gender affirming care
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
PAOV — “Virtual gender affirming care is lifesaving.” In Ontario, virtual care for trans and gender diverse people has increased health care access and equity across the province. Virtual care is also a preferred method to access care for many trans and gender diverse people since it is a safe way to connect with competent and inclusive physicians. Despite this, on December 1, Ontario will no longer fund initial telephone visits between new patients and their physician. This means that nearly 2,000 prospective trans and gender diverse patients on waitlists will be unable to access virtual care. Connect-Clinic started this petition calling on the government to protect access to virtual gender affirming care across Ontario so it can continue supporting new patients in need. You can help in this critical moment by adding your signature.
Protect virtual gender affirming care in Ontario
9,471 have signed Connect-Clinic Virtual Gender Affirming Care’s petition. Let’s get to 10,000!
Sign now with a clickThe Problem: Changes to Virtual Health Care Beginning December 1, 2022
Connect-Clinic has been providing gender affirming care to Ontarians by virtual means since 2019. We currently have 1,500 registered patients with close to 2,000 prospective patients on the waitlist. The changes to the Physicians Service Agreement by the Ministry of Health make it impossible for us to see new patients as of December 1, 2022.
The Impact: Barriers to Life-Affirming Care
Virtual gender affirming care is lifesaving. Trans and gender diverse people have been shown to have very high rates of depression and suicidality; the Trans Pulse study in Ontario found that two thirds of trans respondents had contemplated suicide (1). Gender affirming interventions such as hormone therapy have been shown to decrease depression and suicidality (2). This marginalized population’s increased rates of mental health challenges related to transphobia and discrimination (3,4) contribute to difficulty accessing in-person care – virtual access to care is a much safer and accessible option. Virtual care for trans and gender diverse people has increased health care access and equity across the province (5). Virtual care is a preferred method to access care for trans and gender diverse people since it is a safe way to connect with a culturally-competent physician (5).
What can you do? Sign and share our petition!
Please join our petition to present to the Ministry of Health – help us protect access to virtual gender affirming care across Ontario!
References
(1) Scanlon, K., Travers, R., & Coleman, T. Ontario’s trans communities and suicide: transphobia is bad for our health. TransPULSE. 2010. https://transpulseproject.ca/research/ontarios-trans-communities-and-suicide/
(2) Allen, L. R., Watson, L. B., Egan, A. M., & Moser, C. N. (2019). Well-being and suicidality among transgender youth after gender-affirming hormones. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 7(3), 302–311. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000288
(3) Rotondi Khobzi N, Bauer GR, Scanlon K, Kaay M, Travers R, Travers A. Prevalence of and risk and protective factors for depression in female-to-male transgender Ontarians: Trans PULSE Project. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health 2011;30(2):135-155. https://transpulseproject.ca/research/prevalence-of-and-risk-and-protective-factors-for-depression-in-female-to-male-transgender-ontarians-trans-pulse-project/
(4) Rotondi Khobzi N, Bauer GR, Travers R, Travers A, Scanlon K, Kaay M. Depression in male-to-female transgender Ontarians: Results from the Trans PULSE Project. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health 2011;30(2):113-133. r66
s42>
·
Privacy policy
·
