Experiences With Querying Gender Identity Across Seven Adolescent Medicine Sites

Abstract

Purpose: To determine how the seven Maternal and Child Health Bureau funded Leadership and Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) programs currently obtain information on gender identity from their patients.

Methods: A computerized survey was sent to all LEAH site directors with questions to identify if and how programs documented youth's gender identity and barriers to implementation.

Results: With response rate of 100%, seven LEAH programs reported a total of 43 primary care and specialty clinics. For clinics with Electronic Health Records, 67% of clinics had a standardized gender identity question. Barriers to implementing a standardized question included concerns about confidentiality, lack of trained providers, low numbers of transgender patients, and no validated gender identity question.

Conclusions: Incorporation of inquiry of gender identity is possible in numerous clinical settings that serve adolescents. Future research is needed to determine how this information affects conversations with providers and necessary referrals to treatment.

Keywords: Adolescent; Clinic; Gender-affirming; Transgender.