Insurance Needs for Transgender Americans

A recently published article by the Center for American Progress discusses some important questions regarding health insurance for transgender Americans, specifically in regards to the exclusions to health care insurance and access that many transgender Americans experience, that health allies are shedding light on to improve and increase access to care. Read the whole article here.

Transgender-specific exclusions are unacceptable on both medical and ethical grounds. They arbitrarily target transgender people for discrimination by forcing them to pay out-of-pocket for the same medically necessary services provided to nontransgender people.

As discussed above, many medical services needed by transgender people during transition and at other points in their lives are part of the course of care required for other medical conditions and are routinely covered by health insurance plans. Hormone therapy, for instance, may be utilized for patients with low testosterone or estrogen levels or other endocrine disorders. Preventive care services such as pelvic or prostate exams are an important part of an overall health regimen for all individuals, while various surgeries and reconstructive procedures are commonly covered for treating injuries and intersex conditions, or for cancer treatment or prevention.

Equal access to health care, through insurance, access and decision-making, is an incredibly important issue to me, and I personally have worked to educate myself about transgender-specific health needs. This is an issue that is not only relevant to the people being denied insurance coverage and having to pay out of pocket for basic care, but relevant to all people who want to fight bias and discrimination in the health care system. I think this is a very informative and well-written article, and not only because I knew one of the authors, Andrew Cray, in college. This call to end insurance discrimination against transgender people will hopefully create awareness and help motivate people who want to affect change to start working to create insurance equality.

Safer Sex and Contraception for Trans* Guys

artoftransliness:

A lot of us are less than well-informed about how to have safe sex and prevent pregnancy as trans* guys, partially because there isn’t a lot of information out there specifically for us. 

-For oral sex involving vulvas (vulvae?), a good way to reduce the chance of STI transmission is to use dental dams. These can be purchased at sex shops and similar locations or created using saran wrap, condoms, latex gloves, or other materials. They are also sometimes available for free or very cheap at university health centers, Planned Parenthoods, and LGBTQ resource centers. 

-If you’re using a prosthetic/dildo for vaginal, oral, or anal sex, it is important to make sure the materials it is made of are safe and that it is kept clean. Certain materials are more likely to grow bacteria than others, and certain materials contain phthalates, which are chemicals used to soften PVC and may be dangerous (a good rule of thumb to tell if a prosthetic contains phthalates is if it has a greasy texture and/or smells strongly of plastic). Prosthetics that are labeled non-porous and phthalate-free are generally safer, but that doesn’t let you off the hook for regular cleaning. Different materials require different cleaning methods, and so it’s good to do your research. If you are unsure if your prosthetic is clean and free of harmful chemicals, using a condom can help make things a bit safer for your partner. As a side note, if you suspect that your packer may contain harmful chemicals, you may want to wear it so it is not directly against your skin (for instance over your underwear or in its own little sock). 

-Testosterone may stop you from ovulating, but it probably isn’t a good idea to use it as your only form of birth control. Hormonal birth control while on testosterone is not really an option, so the pill, patch, and shot are out. However, condoms, diaphragms, and non-hormonal IUDs are still effective options for guys on T (this is not a complete list of all methods, and not all methods are created equal, look up effectiveness and weigh the pros and cons of each method). Hormonal birth control is fine for guys who are not on testosterone, although many trans* guys are uncomfortable with some of the “feminizing” effects hormonal birth control may have (for example, breast enlargement or breast tenderness). 

For more information on safer sex and contraception, check out Planned Parenthood’s website (unfortunately pretty much geared toward cis people but still pretty helpful), MegaThatcher’s video on Safe Sex for Trans Guys, and Queertransmen.org.

Transphobia Definition

Transphobia is a set of negative attitudes toward, fear and hatred of transgender and gender non-conforming people.  This, like homophobia can be thought of as the prejudice that many cisgender (non-transgender) people hold toward transgender and gender non-conforming people.

This article highlights different types of transphobic discrimination that legislation is beginning to target, including interpersonal transphobic discrimination, organizational transphobic discrimination, and structural transphobic discrimination.