The Manitoba government is taking steps to support gender-affirming health services for Manitobans and helping all health-care providers familiarize themselves with the latest information on standards of care for the trans and gender-diverse community, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced Wednesday (July 17).
“Affirming and supporting the gender identity of Manitobans is part of essential medical care and saves lives,” said Asagwara. “Waiting for care can be painful and distressing, so our government is taking common-sense steps to help patients see providers as quickly as possible. We are proud to partner with facilities like Klinic Community Health and Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg to deliver the best quality care for patients, with providers from across the system who can support them on every step of their journey.”
The Manitoba government is taking a number of steps to improve wait times for trans patients seeking care, the minister noted, including removing the requirement for a patient to obtain two medical referrals to access specialist care, and expanding the number of primary-care providers who are able to refer patients, including nurse practitioners, for gender-affirming care.
To help more Manitobans access trans health services, the Manitoba government will create a working group that will aim to connect services to communities provincewide, the minister added.
These steps were designed in collaboration with Klinic Community Health for patients, which align with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s latest clinical guidelines. These guidelines are designed around evidence-based care and will provide Manitoba patients with the highest quality care, while ensuring their providers are familiar with the latest standards of care, the minister said.
“Today’s announcement means more individuals will have timely access to the care they need and deserve,” said Ayn Wilcox, executive director, Klinic Community Health. “As the provincial program serving adult transgender and gender-diverse clients, we know these improvements will have a positive impact on the mental health and overall well-being of those accessing gender-affirming care in Manitoba.”
By making improvements to the referral process, patients will have faster access to comprehensive trans health programs where they can receive primary care, reproductive health-care, mental health care, information about provincial coverage and more, the minister said.
