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Original poster

GPs seem to have swallowed the trans dictionary - does that mean Doctors no longer believe in biological reality?

33 replies

stumbledin · 02/03/2019 00:39

I came across this by chance while searching on a different topic.

Would you trust a doctor who refered to cisgender?

www.rcgp.org.uk/about-us/news/2019/february/gender-reassignment-is-a-specialist-area-of-medicine.aspx

OP posts:
justmesathereyawning · 03/03/2019 17:42

@LondonPainter

What a ridiculous article. A "trans" person who has not taken any hormones or had any surgery - why on earth would it be safe or appropriate to use reference ranges for the biological sex they "believed" themselves to be? So their feelings aren't hurt?? Just baffling.

I'm not sure how hormones or surgery (and the effects of surgery on hormone profiles) would cloud the picture - but I'm pretty sure that a transperson would not fully acquire the physiological/biochemical profile of the sex they "believe" themselves to be, even so.

LondonPainter · 03/03/2019 17:26

A recent column from a doctor in the New Statesman: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/health/2019/02/only-general-diversity-training-uk-medical-students-are-underexposed-trans

Hmm extract attached

GPs seem to have swallowed the trans dictionary - does that mean Doctors no longer believe in biological reality?
CKoRn · 03/03/2019 16:02

If a GP referred to me as cisgender I would report them for misconduct and harassment. I'm a woman, not a subset of woman - an actual woman, the ONLY kind of woman.

justmesathereyawning · 03/03/2019 11:18

Loathing the use of "cis", but there have been numerous calls by online TRAs for GPs to initiate hormone treatments in primary care. At least this statement sends out a clear message that this is not going to happen as a matter of course (although GMC guidance suggests that GPs might issue "bridging prescriptions" pending specialist review. Because of the perceived risk of suicide and potential risk of buying shit off the internet. Incredible how this reasoning doesn't apply to any other mental or physical health condition, afaiaw).

slipperywhensparticus · 03/03/2019 10:48

I would lose respect for any gp who refers to me as cisgender

SoloClarinet · 02/03/2019 20:50

but there is a distinct lack of high-quality research in the area, and a lack of reputable clinical guidance available.

GPs (however they refer to their patients) are holding the line against patients turning up in their surgery demanding life-altering hormones on the basis of self-diagnosis, for which I, for one, am glad.

Original poster
stumbledin · 02/03/2019 19:23

I realised that, but the issue is they felt the only way they could say it was to frame it in trans inclusive terms. ie the language erases women, specifically female biology.

I certainly wouldn't have confidence in a GP who didn't feel able to say that female biology is unique to those what are born with the female sex.

OP posts:
crsacre · 02/03/2019 01:05

'GPs should not have to bear the brunt of poor access to specialist services by being put in a position where they are being asked to prescribe treatment that they are not trained to prescribe or monitor safely without expert support.'

The point of this statement is to say that GPs want nothing to do with prescribing cross-sex hormones.