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Dowsett), began medically transitioning four years ago at 35, after grappling with dysphoria since childhood: “I knew at six I wanted to be a boy but didn’t have the vocabulary for it or understand why I felt that way. I didn’t realise until I was 34 that the feeling and dysphoria I’ve had all my life was because I was transgender. That was a scary realisation but also a relief. I’d referred myself to the NHS Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) at the same time as contacting Gendercare in 2018. It’s now been three years since I’ve been on testosterone and I still have yet to have a first appointment with the London NHS GIC.”
NAVIGATING THE TRANS HEALTHCARE CRISIS
Sharing their experiences with Rachel Badham, three selfidentifying trans men explain how inadequate healthcare and a lack of access to gender-affirming treatments and surgery has affected their daily lives and mental wellbeing, and why the government needs to prioritise the needs of the trans community now ) As of October 2020, the UK has had no
clinics and the lack of surgeons able to perform gender-affirming operations, means trans men and non-binary people are having to grapple with gender dysphoria without access to testosterone and transitional surgery.
surgical facility able to perform phalloplasty and metoidioplasty operations, leaving many trans men and non-binary unable to access this form of gender-affirming care. Those who were on the waiting list for surgery, or have already had the first stage of the surgery, have been left suffering both mentally and physically, with many seeking alternative options overseas.
Endeavour (he/him, YouTube: Endeavour
According to Stonewall, more than 50% of trans people reported they have been told by their GP that they don’t know enough about trans-related care to provide it, while a report from GenderGP found that some trans people have been waiting for around three years for an initial appointment with a specialist gender clinic. The insufficient number of professionals who have been provided with adequate training on trans healthcare, coupled with overstretched
ETHAN AT BRIGHTON & HOVE PRIDE
Chay Brown, director of TransActual, confirmed that the contract for St Peter’s Andrology Centre – the only UK location able to provide phalloplasty and metoidioplasty – was discontinued at an unknown point between October 2020 and April 2021, with patients only being made aware of this in May. Although the NHS has now confirmed that it is in the process of securing alternative providers of this lifesaving surgery, thousands of trans people across the UK are still struggling to access any form of gender-affirming healthcare.
Because of the long waiting times, Endeavour decided to get top surgery privately and was able to do so with the help of GoFundMe. However, he is now struggling to get a hysterectomy, which he is in need of due to extreme cramping pains from testosterone: “My GP has been fantastic in referring me to gynaecologists for a hysterectomy but the gynaecologists are refusing without referrals from the NHS GIC and I’ve yet to see them! Essentially I’m at a dead end and the pain I’m in is not taken seriously enough. Both gynaecologists I’ve seen have not been good experiences either. Either knowledge is poor or they think I’m making it up. I contacted the NHS GIC for advice for them to refuse to engage with me as I’m under private care and yet to be seen by them. I cannot go further privately and the NHS is ignoring what is a problem for many trans men/non-binary people on testosterone who have sought medical care elsewhere to get on hormones.”
