The longitudinal primary care of transgender and gender diverse people

With more transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people affirming their genders, often with gender‑affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) - which involves using hormones to help align physical characteristics with an individual's gender identity - there is a growing need for general practitioners who are confident and skilled in providing affirming, ongoing care. This includes support related to not only gender affirmation itself, but also broader health needs such as cardiovascular disease risk management, mental health, bone health, sexual health and wellbeing, and lifestyle factors including smoking, nutrition, alcohol use and physical activity.

The aim of this article is to emphasise the utility of management planning as a component of the longitudinal care of TGD people's health, and it identifies a selection of factors worth specific attention.

The same tools used to manage the longitudinal wellbeing of cisgender (ie their perception of gender aligns with sex presumed at birth) patients may be successfully applied, with a small number of considerations and modifications, to the needs of TGD patients.