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. 2023 Jul 31;65(1):e1-e5.
doi: 10.4102/safp.v65i1.5770.

An introduction to gender affirming healthcare: What the family physician needs to know

Madeleine Muller  1 , Elma De Vries, Anastacia Tomson, Christine McLachlan
Affiliations

An introduction to gender affirming healthcare: What the family physician needs to know

Madeleine Muller et al. S Afr Fam Pract (2004). .

Abstract

Gender affirming healthcare (GAHC) is a relatively new field in primary health care that describes a range of gender affirming practices, including hormone therapy, for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people. In 2019, gender affirming hormones were approved by South African National Essential Medicine List Committee (NEMLC) for tertiary-level care, and in October 2021 the Southern Africa HIV Clinicians Society published a GAHC guideline for South Africa. Unfortunately, TGD people still experience discrimination and stigmatisation in healthcare facilities in South Africa, leading to poor access to care and higher health risks with poorer outcomes. Gender affirming care in the primary health care clinic can improve access to health care, with improved provision of preventative services. This article defines key transgender concepts, describes the informed consent process and outlines the initiation and monitoring of both feminising and masculinising hormone treatment for TGD people. Staff at healthcare facilities need to receive training on gender affirming practices and how to ensure a safe environment for TGD clients.

Keywords: access to care; gender affirming healthcare; gender diverse; hormone therapy; key populations; patient centred care; transgender.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

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