Transgender health care workshop in Anchorage, Wed. Oct 20

Health care providers can learn more effective ways to care for Anchorage's growing transgender population and earn 3 CEU credits at a half day training on Wednesday led by Samuel Lurie, an expert on transgender issues and access to health care services.

Transgender People and Access to Care: Demystifying Gender Identity in the classroom, in the clinic and in the community

As the visibility and activism of transgender and gender-variant people has grown, providers are seeking ways to increase their understanding of the diversity of transgender experiences. This workshop will provide basic information and present strategies, standards of care, best practices, and resources for incorporating appropriate and effective support to your transgender clients. Our presenter is a member of the transgender community as well as a seasoned trainer who has presented on transgender awareness and health topics nationally for the past 12 years.

Learning Objectives

At the end of our workshop, participants will:

• Understand basic terminology, language and concepts of gender variant experiences including gender transition process and the role of mental health and social service providers.
• Distinguish between biological sex, gender identity and sexual orientation and ways in which care for transgender populations specifically differs from care for gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities.
• Identify current standards of care and approaches to supporting transgender clients and members of the client's support system.
• Be able to incorporate a basic knowledge of gender identity into their current professional work, including resources for supervision and educational materials.

The Trainer

Samuel Lurie is the director of Transgender Training and Advocacy (www.tgtrain.org) and is recognized nationally as an expert on transgender issues and access to health care and prevention services. He has been active in community health for over 20 years, focusing on HIV/AIDS activism, harm reduction and empowerment in marginalized communities. Samuel has an interactive, engaging and thought-provoking training style, and has presented on transgender issues to over 26,000 providers in 28 states. He lives in Vermont, where he recently opened a private practice in mind-body health.

The workshop is on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010, at the BP Energy Center, 1014 Energy Court (near E. Benson/Seward Hwy) in the Alder/ Cottonwood Room, 2nd Floor, from 1:30-4:30pm (registration and snacks at 1:15pm.) Registration fee: $50 per person or $80 for 2 people from the same agency. Student/community scholarships are available. Registration and questions, please contact Katherine Huffman, Education Manager at PPGNW-Alaska.

Transgender Health Care Survey

A national report released on Oct. 13 revealed rampant discrimination against transgender people by health providers.

Transgender and gender non-conforming people face discrimination in health care settings, are regularly denied needed care, and experience a range of health risks because they are transgender or gender non-conforming, according to a report of more than 6,450 transgender and gender non-conforming people.

Key findings of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey: Report on Health and Health Care include:

• Nearly 1 in 5 (19 percent) reported being refused care outright because they were transgender or gender non-conforming.
• Survey participants reported very high levels of postponing medical care when sick or injured due to discrimination and disrespect (28 percent).
• Harassment: 28 percent of respondents were subjected to harassment in medical settings.
• Significant lack of provider knowledge: 50 percent of the sample reported having to teach their medical providers about transgender care.
• Despite barriers, the majority has accessed some form of transition-related medical care, but only a minority has had any surgery, despite the fact that a strong majority stated wanting to have it someday.
• Respondents reported more than four times the national average of HIV infection, 2.64 percent in our sample compared to 0.6 percent in the general population, with rates for transgender women at 3.76 percent, and with those who are unemployed (4.67 percent) or who have engaged in sex work (15.32 percent) even higher.
• Over a quarter of the respondents reported misusing drugs or alcohol specifically to cope with the discrimination they faced due to their gender identity or expression.
• A staggering 41 percent of respondents reported attempting suicide compared to 1.6 percent of the general population.

The report also includes critical public policy recommendations, such as the urgent need to train medical professionals about how to effectively and respectfully treat transgender and gender non-conforming patients; an end to the discriminatory practice of transgender exclusion from health care coverage; the development of transgender-specific programs to address suicide; the spread of HIV, and other health risks; and increased research that focuses specifically on health needs of the transgender population. [Download the health report.]

Preliminary findings on employment and economic insecurity, which provide an overview of statistics from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey on the pervasive employment discrimination transgender and gender non-conforming people face, unemployment rates, poverty levels, and housing instability, are available HERE.

Statistics related to suicide, and the relationship to bullying and harassment in school, were released last week, and are available HERE.