Pregnant transmen and barriers to high quality healthcare

Abstract

A transman presents for prenatal care with a planned, desired pregnancy and no underlying medical issues. Clinicians caring for him are initially unable to initiate a pregnancy episode in the electronic medical record (EMR) secondary to his legal designation as male, and must change the gender marker in the EMR to female in order to document the pregnancy. This situation illuminates the systemic challenges faced by transmen seeking health care, especially in the area of obstetrics. This article will review language used to define the trans* community, highlight trans* healthcare disparities, review the context in which transmen receive perinatal care, discuss what is known about their experiences, and make recommendations for improvement in healthcare systems to eliminate barriers to safe, effective, and culturally-competent care.