Transgender patients in Thunder Bay face healthcare barriers

Finding a family doctor, and accessing healthcare services close to home, can be difficult for many people with health challenges in northwestern Ontario, but for transgender patients, the barriers can be even greater. 

Many transgender patients face challenges when it comes to accessing primary healthcare, said Aiden Kivisto, a transgender person living in Thunder Bay, Ont. 
    
The challenge, he said, is finding a doctor who respects transgender patients, and who has the knowledge and comfort level needed to provide services such as hormone replacement therapy — something many transgender people are seeking. 

"It's not really that [healthcare providers are] innately trying to hurt somebody or make somebody feel like they're not important," said Kivisto. "It's just, in their confusion they don't know how to treat people, and will use the wrong pronouns or make assumptions."

"They're not equipped," he said.

Thunder Bay clinic makes transgender healthcare a priority

The NorWest Communty Health Centre is attempting to break down some of the barriers for transgender clients, said Juanita Lawson, the director of clinical services.

"Over the last couple of years we've noticed that there's a real issue in terms of access," she said.

So, NorWest has partnered with Rainbow Health Ontario, a provincial organization working to improve LGBT healthcare throughout the province, to train all clinic staff to better understand, and serve transgender clients. 

The NorWest clinic in Thunder Bay has also become a place where other doctors in the community can refer patients for specific services, such as hormones, if they don't know how to do provide that treatment themselves. 
    
Building knowledge among healthcare providers throughout the community is an ongoing effort, said Lawson, and the clinic is continuing to expand its own services and supports for transgender clients.
    
This September it launched a new peer support group known as "gender journeys." That new group filled up right away, said Lawson, an indication of the demand for services. 

Listen to this audio story to learn more about efforts to improve transgender healthcare in Thunder Bay : 

Superior Morning8:42Transgender - Healthcare

What's it like to seek transgender healthcare services in Thunder Bay? We hear about some of the barriers, and the efforts to break them down.