‘You’re still going to see trans patients, whether you know it or not’: Winnipeg doctors, advocates call for more resources and mandatory training in gender-affirming care.
Non-profits carry the responsibility to train doctors in gender-affirming care in Manitoba.
Doctors and advocates in Winnipeg demand more resources and mandatory training in gender-affirming and trans health care for doctors across the province.
Non-profit organizations like Rainbow Resource Centre and the Klinic Community Health centre shoulder the responsibility for educating doctors on gender-affirming care, said Romeo Gauthier, the only health care educator at Rainbow Resource Centre.
“If they (doctors) aren’t aware of these identities, then they're not able to support the community,” Gauthier, who uses they/them pronouns, said.
Gauthier said their training courses are only available by request. If people aren’t reaching out, they added, the need goes unmet.
Entire hospitals have asked for the training, along with clinics, schools, and individual doctors, said Gauthier.
“I’m one person...it’s not possible for me to talk to every person in the province,” said Gauthier.
Since The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba obligates health care providers to provide equitable care, Gauthier said providers need to be knowledgeable on treating trans and queer patients.
“There’s a huge need”
Klinic started offering gender-affirming care training for doctors in June, said Renee LeNeveu, a social worker at the non-profit. Three full-day workshops have been held so far.
LeNeveu said half of the day involves teaching on gender inclusivity and diversity, while the second half has the “medical nitty gritty,” like how to prescribe hormone treatments for trans patients and make surgery referrals.
She hopes the government will provide more resources for programming because she sees a gap in doctor training, despite the government streamlining hormone prescriptions and surgery referrals in July.
“There's still a lot of people who their doctors have said, ‘I don't know how to do that, or I don't have the skills to do that. You go to Klinic for that,’ and they refer them to us, and then they wait on our waiting list for 10 months just to start on hormones,” said LeNeveu.
“There’s a huge need.”
LeNeveu is part of six-person team who run the training workshops, including medical providers and social workers. However, she said facilitating the training is on top of their regular duties, and there’s no dedicated funding for it.
“We’re doing it because there’s a need, so we’re just doing it,” said LeNeveu.
Doctor training reduces barriers
Dr. Gem Newman, a resident family doctor, sees mandatory training on gender-affirming care needed even if doctors aren’t specializing in trans health issues.
“You’re still going to see trans patients, whether you know it or not.” said Newman. “The common cold doesn’t discriminate.”
Newman, who recently graduated in May, said doctors should have some knowledge of gender-affirming and trans health care, like how doctors treat and approach patients from different cultural backgrounds.
“If they (doctors) aren’t aware of these identities, then they're not able to support the community.”
Because family doctors are trained as “generalists,” Newman said doctors need to be comfortable prescribing hormone medications and making sure they’re meeting a patient’s needs.
When health care providers intentionally or unintentionally mistreat a queer person, Newman said it turns the provider into a barrier and damages the doctor/patient relationship.
“Providing this kind of education…will help us serve everybody’s health.” said Newman.
Gauthier sees an over-reliance on community organizations like Rainbow Resource Centre and Klinic to educate medical staff.
They want to see more action from the government in mandating training for health care facilities and providing resources to grow the existing programs.
“When you’re talking about something, you want to listen to community. But the reverse of that is you can’t expect community to wholly educate you on everything,” said Gauthier.
Physicians have raised concern about the lack of training and practice guidelines, said a spokesperson for Doctors Manitoba an email statement.
While the group has helped promoted several doctor training events through Rainbow Resource Centre and Klinic, the spokesperson said gender-affirming care training needs more resources from the government.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara responded in an email statement sent after publishing deadline, saying their government is proud to be partners with Rainbow Resource Centre and Klinic.
Asagwara didn’t address concerns about training resources or mandating training.
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