A guest lecture about transgender population health in Aotearoa, for University of Otago

1. Moira Clunie
September 2022
transgender
population health

2. tengakaukahukura.nz
www.patha.nz
www.outline.org.nz
takatapui.nz
rainbowsuicideprevention
.wordpress.com
www.countingourselves.nz

3. an umbrella term for people whose current sex or gender
is different from their sex assigned at birth, including:
- tāhine, takatāpui and other Māori gender minorities
- other indigenous genders such as fa’afafine, fa’atama,
leiti and akava’ine
- non-binary and genderqueer identities
- transsexual people
- people who are intersex and also identify as transgender.
transgender

4. an umbrella term to describe people whose:
- sexual orientation (identities, attractions,
behaviours),
- gender (identity, expression), and/or
- sex characteristics
differ from majority, binary norms.
“rainbow” LGBTI+ (& similar)
sex, sexuality and
gender minorities
queer, trans and intersex
SOGIESC
minorities
takatāpui & rainbow
MVPFAFF+

5. Transgender people experience significantly higher lifetime risk for suicidal
behaviour, self-harm and depression, anxiety, substance misuse, eating
disorders and social isolation

6. Counting Ourselves
research on trans and
non-binary wellbeing
www.countingourselves.nz

7. These higher risks are not
because of our identities,
but because of discrimination
and social exclusion

8. Moira Clunie, 2018

9. Lack of access to essential
gender-affirming healthcare –
medical interventions people
access to affirm their gender - is
one form of discrimination.
www.tengakaukahukura.nz/
gender-affirming-healthcare

10. In the context of COVID-19, trans
people have been more likely to face:
www.tengakaukahukura.nz/covid19
• Family violence, rejection and alienation
• Isolation from trans communities,
support services and peer groups
• Limited or uncertain access to gender-
affirming healthcare
• Increased impact of the COVID-19 virus
because of physical health concerns
• Unemployment and housing insecurity

11. Transgender people are less likely to be able to access healthcare
when it is needed, more likely to receive unsatisfactory care, and
more likely to delay or avoid accessing healthcare because of
anticipated discrimination.

12. Health inequities for transgender people have long
been recognised, but not prioritised, by government

13. For equitable health outcomes, trans people need…
1. Reliable public access to gender-affirming
healthcare
2. A health system that provides safe,
equitable, effective and trans-competent
healthcare
3. A targeted approach to reducing
discrimination against transgender people
across all areas of society, and celebrating
gender diversity

14. 1. Reliable public access to
gender-affirming healthcare*
* any healthcare that affirms a person’s
gender, and increases congruence between
their body and their gender or sense of self.
This term covers a wide range of
interventions including counselling support,
laser hair removal, voice therapy, hormone
therapy and surgeries.
www.patha.nz

15. “In Aotearoa, access to
gender-affirming healthcare
is limited and generally
inadequate.”
patha.nz/resources/Documents/PATHA_Transgender%20Healt
h%20briefing%20for%20the%20incoming%20Minister%20of%2
0Health.pdf

16. Resource page with further reading:
www.tengakaukahukura.nz/gender-affirming-healthcare

17. Three webinars about how GPs can support trans health:
www.tengakaukahukura.nz/webinars

18. Data from
countingourselves.nz
Note: please take care
when reading the full
report, especially if you are
trans or nonbinary or have
friends/whānau who are,
some of the content is
upsetting.
2. A health
system that
provides safe,
equitable,
effective and
trans-competent
healthcare

19. One example of inequities in the healthcare system:
www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/471419/gender-
diverse-people-missing-cervical-screenings-due-to-
health-software-setup

20. Supporting Aotearoa’s
Rainbow People:
A Practical Guide for
Mental Health
Professionals
www.rainbowmentalhealth.com
Practical skills for working with
trans and rainbow people:

21. www.tengakaukahukura.nz includes a self-audit tool for service organisations

22. 3. A targeted
approach reducing
discrimination and
celebrating diversity

23. Challenging discrimination and celebrating
diversity requires action at every level – in
our legal and social structures, within
institutions and communities, interpersonally
in whānau and friend groups, and in our own
beliefs and attitudes.

24. Connect with community-led work to
address discrimination:
o OutLine Aotearoa
o Gender Minorities Aotearoa (GMA)
o RainbowYOUTH
o InsideOUT
o Qtopia
o Professional Association for
Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA)
www.tengakaukahukura.nz/rainbow-
organisations

25. Take or share the survey: countingourselves.nz

26. Moira Clunie
moira@tengakaukahukura.nz
Te Ngākau Kahukura
www.tengakaukahukura.nz
Rainbow suicide prevention research
rainbowsuicideprevention.wordpress.com
OutLine Aotearoa
www.outline.org.nz
Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa
www.patha.nz
A conversation about bodily autonomy and self-determination for intersex and trans people
www.tengakaukahukura.nz/webinar-bodily-autonomy-intersex-and-trans-conversations