Table 3 Gender affirming practice recommendations
From: Medical considerations in the care of transgender and gender diverse patients with eating disorders
Environment of care | Provide gender neutral bathrooms |
Room patients with those of the same gender identity; avoid isolating patients | |
Provide private bathrooms on request | |
Use the correct name for patients on daily attendance sheets, room doors, etc. | |
Staff | Provide regular training on gender-affirming care and practices |
Encourage staff to include their own pronouns in introductions to normalize sharing of correct pronouns | |
Intervene if staff or other patients are misgendering a patient, regardless of whether the patient is present | |
Support the hiring and retention of TGD staff members; inclusivity should extend beyond the patients | |
Medical record | Provide gender-affirming intake forms that include what pronouns and name the patient uses |
Use a medical record that allows for the inclusion of gender and pronouns | |
Clinical practice | During the initial assessment, inquire about how individuals would like to be addressed, including their name and pronouns. This may include a conversation about whether a different name or pronouns are to be used with family members. It is important to protect patient’s privacy regarding their gender identity |
Practice using correct pronouns in all practice settings | |
Use gender-related language and terminology the patient prefers. This includes the language that may be used to describe their body parts. Use gender neutral language. i.e. breasts versus chest; uterus and ovaries versus internal parts. If specific parts need to be named, consider using “the” rather than “your,” i.e. “the uterus” instead of “your uterus.” | |
Only ask questions to which you clinically need to know the answers | |
When appropriate, use an anatomy inventory to determine what screening may need to occur | |
Do not make assumptions about what gender affirming medical interventions a patient may have had or may want to consider in the future | |
Facilitate patient access to gender affirming medical interventions | |
If TGD care is not a regular part of your practice, consider practicing appropriate language when the patient is not present | |
Consider seeking TGD CME | |
Be conscientious of the impact of implicit bias in clinical decision making |