Gender Affirming Care P.E.I. is looking to employ a transgender health system pilot to assist the trans community in their interactions with the healthcare system.
It’s a fresh place. The group faces several obstacles in health care, according to Joelyn Adams, the executive director.
“A lot of health fear and avoidance in general are brought on by previous pain with wellness care or systems, or because they are hesitant to visit their family doctor or are reluctant to speak up in their own neighborhood, or because they are just looking for information,” she said.
Gender Affirming Care P.E.I. offers that strategy as a second step. Adams claims that it has grown to be a full-time work, opening up a place.
Adams says the work requires empathy and compassion. “There’s a lot of difficult needs in the transgender community, especially in rural areas where there’s loneliness”.
The trans area on the Island is around 500 individuals, she said. According to Adams, broad-based strategies don’t really work, so the organization needs to be more specific.
The electronic health record keeping structure is one of the issues that has been a barrier to some.
If one goes to the Health P.E.I. It goes on the Gender Clinic record. A doctor anywhere in a small city would be able to observe that, which could make some uncomfortable, Adams said.
According to Adams, knowledge and awareness are essential. “Having a community-based friendly face to assist with that little bit of hand-holding is a big difference.”
Another aspect of the job is to make sure key maintenance is more attainable for trans people at all stages of life, whether it is cancer screenings or obstetric care.
We don’t really have many transgender people, but with the expansion of access and acceptance, she said, we will have to deal with these issues in the future.
Being a trans health system navigator is crucial, according to Peers Alliance social worker Henry Luyombya, because the island and other parts of Canada are experiencing more transphobia.
“When people feel that they’re not included, they step away. They create small communities and within those communities, we are seeing increasingly that they are vulnerable to using substances,” he said. They are frightened of losing their lives.
Luymobya said issues like isolation, racism, and discrimination can be addressed by creating spaces that are welcoming, inclusive, and equitable.
“The trans navigator position is intended to reach areas where trans people feel disembarked in rural communities, but even in places where they feel unwelcome,” says the spokesperson. And so this is very crucial to the community’s overall well-being.
