helenwebberley

Yes, there is a lot of data. Mental health issues are much higher when transgender people face difficulties. These difficulties may be socially, at school or work or home. They may be medically, in not getting the healthcare they need. They may be political in not getting the rights that they deserve.

However, we definitely see that transgender people who are treated in the same way as cisgender people, and allowed to express their gender in the way they feel comfortable, have much better mental health outcomes.

EDUCATION!! It is not acceptable that doctors and nurses are 'allowed' to not know how to provide simple gender-affirmative care. Many patients just want access to very simple support, medication and blood tests and that can easily be provided by a GP or practice nurse within your local GP surgery. The specialist clinics should be saved for the trickier cases where people are unsure of their gender, or have other medical conditions that may interfere. Most people are very sure of their gender, and just want the simple medical help that is available. Doctors are currently too scared to provide help, and that is putting patients at risk.

Hi, ask me as many as you like, I have time and a cup of tea!

The complaints that have gone to the GMC about me have all either come from the gender specialists working in the NHS, or have been encouraged by them. From what I have read in the newspapers, the same is true for the other two private clinics you mention.

I don't know why. None of the doctors have come to me personally to ask what I do, they simply go behind my back and complain to the GMC. The GMC then have to investigate.

Deeper though, the GMC seem to investigate those doctors who DO treat transgender patients and not those who refuse to treat them or treat them badly.

I think the transphobia that we see in the public eye extends deep into institutions that provide and regulate healthcare.

What can you do? - well most importantly you can write to the GMC every time you see examples of good care and every time you see examples of bad care. We need to hear the voices of those affected by decisions and care provided by doctors.

Of course many people can't get to grips with it. Surely if you are born a 'man' then you will be a 'man'. It is not until you meet someone who doesn't identify as the gender that they were assigned at birth that you can really understand it.

As for non binary - people think it is a new thing, but we know it isn't. Everything is a spectrum - whether it is how male / female / in-between you feel on the inside, or how male / female / in-between you want to express yourself on the outside, or even how male / female / in-between the person is that you are attracted to. It cannot be binary (one or the other) nor fixed - it is a fluid spectrum. That is what makes us human.

The abuse / hate that I experience on social media is easy. I try and educate and if that is not shifting then I block! The negative effects that I face from those who have power over me and is harder to bear. But I maintain honesty, professionalism and calmness and do what I have been taught to do as a human and as a doctor and treat people in accordance with my skills and knowledge and compassion. I hope that one day this will be recognised.

You cannot 'cause' gender incongruence, you cannot 'treat' it, you cannot make it go away or make it happen. It is not a mental health illness, or even a medical disorder. It does however cause mental health issues of the person struggles because they have gender dysphoria.