AIBU to ask MNHQ if we can have a trans discussion section?

[Skarossinkplunger]

Out of the first 10 threads showing on my AIBU page 4 of them are trans threads. There is seriously no escaping, please can they have their own board?

I don't think people worry too much about hate crime, but they do worry a lot about professional censure. I don't think that it's conversations about things like smear tests that are done within practice that might be problematic. I think it's referrals that might be an issue. There was someone on a thread a while back who said as a doctor she had been advised not to send a referral for potential ovarian cancer that stated that was her concern because the individual did not identify as a woman. She still made the referral, but was worried it would not be seen as urgent.

I'm confused as to why Malcolm's posts were deleted too

Sockpuppets are a no no on MN. They were not very inventive either so just begging to be deleted.

MillicentFawcett

I hadn’t noticed that the names are all the same!

Bit of a rookie error, in my opinion.

Is he banned now?

No i hadn't either

How so you know this? Surely if it was sockpuppertly everyonewould be deleted..
I meant the posters doing it, not you and others.

nooka I agree with you there. I have a very good memory for things that I read and I recognised this poster pretty quickly.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've seen the "I've been an expert witness and I've seen things that make me think women prisoners deserve rape" routine before. At least the next time it appears I'll know to ignore whatever they post.

Oh dear Malcolm. Fuckity Bye.

I’m still here if anyone wants to engage.

No bun fights. No personal attacks. No passive aggression.

Just chat and an exchange of views.

Crickets.

I think it's referrals that might be an issue. There was someone on a thread a while back who said as a doctor she had been advised not to send a referral for potential ovarian cancer that stated that was her concern because the individual did not identify as a woman. She still made the referral, but was worried it would not be seen as urgent

Trans people still need health care and it's important that trans people aren't ignored or made to feel uncomfortable in health care as this might well prevent them accessing services. It's also important that HCPs are aware of the barriers to health care that trans people and have those difficult conversations.

I totally agree with you saga. I think it's really problematic that instead of sensitive discussions on a case by case basis people are becoming anxious that there is only one approach that is OK and anything else might get people into potentially quite significant trouble. The 'you must at all times behave as if you believe that transwomen/transmen are women/men in all things at all times' ideology does a disservice to everyone.

t's rare to hear different voices on here giving a different perspective on things. It can be a bit of an echo chamber on here sometimes.

Not really rare. They don’t usually stay long when they realise that shouting “bigot” and “transphobe” doesn’t stop people discussing it. They leave when they realise they need to discuss the actual issues and they have no answers.

Trans people still need health care and it's important that trans people aren't ignored or made to feel uncomfortable in health care as this might well prevent them accessing services. It's also important that HCPs are aware of the barriers to health care that trans people and have those difficult conversations.

Of course they do sag. I really don't think anyone is saying they don't. But it's a very much specific kind of care that may get lost and be unavailable to trans people.

*@MrMeSeeks - I'm taking a wild stab and guessing that malcomTucker, malcomFucker and malcomFfucker are all the same person. Maybe not and it's just a huge coincidence that three posters with really similar names are all on the same thread? *

I missed this completely, ive been reading it all as the same name

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've seen the "I've been an expert witness and I've seen things that make me think women prisoners deserve rape" routine before

Same here

And i agree with sagas last post as well

It's a criminal offence to disclose a person's trans status without their express permission if that information has been acquired in a professional capacity. This means however aware HCPs are of the barriers to health care for trans people, they may come across situations where their hands are tied.

Obviously it would be best for HCPs to have the difficult conversation and get the person's permission, but I'm wondering what would happen in cases where the trans person has not disclosed their trans status personally to that specific HCP (even if it was very obvious) - would the HCP be in trouble for even initiating that conversation?

Trans people still need health care and it's important that trans people aren't ignored or made to feel uncomfortable in health care as this might well prevent them accessing services.

This is very true, sagamartha. Unfortunately, the need not to make trans people uncomfortable has been translated by transactivists as "we mustn't mention any sex differences at all", which has led to the effective erasure of women, the ridiculousness of terms like "pregnant people", the claim by some transwomen that they need smear tests, and saying that calling FGM "female genital mutilation" is transphobic. There has to be a better way.

Obviously it would be best for HCPs to have the difficult conversation and get the person's permission, but I'm wondering what would happen in cases where the trans person has not disclosed their trans status personally to that specific HCP (even if it was very obvious) - would the HCP be in trouble for even initiating that conversation

Without wishing to derail, I think the Caldicott guidelines on best interests of the patient might come into play - if the trans status was relevant to the health care of the patient.

I hadn't noticed the different Malcolms either... What a weird way to sock puppet!

Sagamartha - I've said before (so apologies if this is boring repetition to anyone) but it's critical that medical records don't try to erase the fact that a patient is trans. Both for future preventative measures (such as smear tests), diagnoses (such as prostate cancer) and interventions (such as medical dosages), but also to enable a proper review of the impact of the drugs taken by transmen and transwomen. For example, it might turn out that taking puberty blockers acts as a preventative to developing heart disease, or some other benefit that can help inform future drug therapies - as well as the more obvious data gathering about the potential increased risk of osteoarthritis and other chronic conditions.

If we don't record the information properly, we cannot do any meaningful analysis of the data, and then we don't' know any more than we do now

And the point surely is that it needs to remain possible to distinguish men from transmen, and women from transwomen, where this is biologically relevant, without anyone fearing prosecution, doxxing or rape threats.

The 6th caldicott principle i just read about mentions 'comply with the law'

This, i guess, is where any changes to any laws would have to be carefully worded

The interesting point about medical records is that far-reaching changes are being made but there doesn't seem to be joined-up thinking in terms of conflicts of rights, unintended consequences etc. The kind of things you'd be wanting a government to manage if there's going to be a significant change in the law.

The government might suddenly get a grip and start managing this well but their track record, both in this area and generally, doesn't inspire confidence.

Saga very much agree.

I think it's really problematic that instead of sensitive discussions on a case by case basis people are becoming anxious that there is only one approach that is OK

^^ This too. Well put.