Community Experiences of Social and Nonmedical Gender-Affirming Care: Interview Study Among Transgender and/or...

Access to care that affirms one's entire self is essential, especially for gender-diverse individuals. Gender-affirming care includes medical, social, and nonmedical supports to affirm gender identity.

This study qualitatively examined the importance of social and nonmedical gender-affirming services as described by gender-diverse community members.

Thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data from 5 participants (3 rural and 2 urban; 2 with doctoral-level education and 3 health professionals) with experiences accessing gender-affirming care in Nova Scotia, Canada, between October 2023 and November 2023.

Participants included transgender and/or nonbinary individuals who highlighted the significance of social and nonmedical gender-affirming care over traditional medical interventions. Themes included the centrality of belonging, the use of online spaces such as TikTok for gender affirmation, and the emotional impact of barriers such as cost and safety concerns. Four of 5 participants emphasized the importance of social and nonmedical gender-affirming care over medical interventions. Participants stressed the importance of fostering a sense of belonging and accessing supportive communities, which is crucial in navigating transphobic environments without support. Many felt abandoned by public systems and resorted to passing as cisgender due to barriers such as cost in accessing gender-affirming resources. Internet platforms such as TikTok provided valuable guidance, supplementing limited access to medical gender-affirming care. Participants emphasized a crucial need for health care providers to understand basic gender-affirming care, including respect for preferred pronouns and gender identities.

This study found that members of the gender-diverse community significantly value social and nonmedical gender-affirming care services with respect to their well-being. The findings underscore the complex interplay among social support, health care access, and resilience in transgender and/or nonbinary individuals' lives. This work can aid in exploring how best to educate health care providers in gender-inclusive care and enable increased access to all forms of care that can help affirm an individual's gender.