Short Interview Series - Episode 4 feat Brianna Durand

Holly Tanner Short Interview Series - Episode 4 featuring Brianna Durand

Inclusive Care for Gender and Sexual Minorities is a remote course created by faculty member Brianna Durand. This course is for anyone, even if you are unsure about the pronouns or the terminology to use. Brianna created this course to provide the basic foundational knowledge around inclusive and gender-affirming care. The second day of the course provides detailed physiological considerations from the pelvic health and general health standpoint for folx undergoing medical transition.

Brianna became interested in pelvic health research pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community when she was in grad school. She was struck by how the community was not mentioned in most formal education and wanted to meet this knowledge gap.

Gender-affirming care describes ideal medical, surgical, and mental health services sought by transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people. This can range from hormone therapy, to top or bottom surgery, facial hair removal, modification of speech, reduction thyrochondroplasty (tracheal cartilage shave), and voice surgery (1). Also common is the practice of genital tucking or packing, and chest binding. All of which the World Professional Association for Transgender Health lists as medically necessary procedures(2).

Hormone therapy is a common medical intervention and allows for the acquisition of secondary sex characteristics which are more aligned with the individual's gender identity. Research, such as that by Gómez-Gil et al, concludes that there are psychological improvements after gender-affirming treatments such as hormone therapy and surgery (3). Likewise, the denial of access to gender-affirming care is associated with worsened psychological health and high-risk behaviors (4).

Inclusive Care for Gender and Sexual Minorities attendees can expect to be gently guided into the sometimes confusing realm of gender and sexual orientation and identity. This course will provide a safe space to ask all the questions about caring for LGBTQ+ patients and practicing the skills needed to help advance your practice.

Inclusive Care for Gender and Sexual Minorities is scheduled for October 9-10 and covers pelvic floor physical therapy specifically, however it is appropriate and useful for any medical professional as we all have patients in the LGBTQ+ community.

1. Madeline B. Deutsch, MD, MPH. Overview of gender-affirming treatments and procedures. UCSF Transgender Care & Treatment Guidelines. June 17, 2016
2. WPATH Clarification on Medical Necessity of Treatment, Sex Reassignment, and Insurance Coverage for Transgender and Transsexual People WorldwideWPATH. Transgender Health Information Program. [cited 2014 Jan 21].
3. Gómez-Gil E, Zubiaurre-Elorza L, Esteva I, Guillamon A, Godás T, Cruz Almaraz M, et al. Hormone-treated transsexuals report less social distress, anxiety, and depression. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012 May;37(5):662-70.
4. Sevelius JM. Gender Affirmation: A framework for conceptualizing risk behavior among transgender women of color. Sex Roles. 2013 Jun 1;68(11-12):675-89.