Newswise — The lack of culturally safe health screening for people who are transgender and gender diverse (TGD) is putting them at greater risk of cancer going undetected, but nurse practitioners could be trained to help close the gap. That’s the view of Canadian and Australian researchers who are calling for improved access to prevention and screening services for the vulnerable TGD population. A new paper published in Seminars in Oncology Nursing outlines the barriers that TGD individuals face when trying to access gender-affirming healthcare, particularly in low-income countries and where gender and sexual diversity is illegal.
While the proportion of TGT people in the overall community is small – conservatively estimated at between 0.3% and 4.5% of adults – they experience the same health issues and, in some cases, a greater risk of cancer due to a higher prevalence of alcohol and tobacco use and sexually transmitted diseases.
Study co-author, University of South Australia nurse practitioner Toni Slotnes-O’Brien , says TGD people deserve the same care as cis-gendered people, but nurses, doctors and allied health practitioners are currently lacking experience in providing inclusive and respectful care for this population. “There’s a lack of knowledge about alternative tests – for example, self-collection for cervical screening – and the importance of recommending mammograms for transgender women from the age of 50 if they have developed breast tissue,” .
