We are carrying out an assessment of sexual violence and family violence support across the country, to see how ready the services are to help transgender and intersex people. Please help us complete this important piece of work by filling out our survey.
If you are transgender or intersex, and have ever wanted to get support, tried to get support, or received services from any organisation in relation to sexual violence, partner violence, or family violence, this survey is for you.
The Anti-Violence Resource Centre, or ARC, is a collaborative project between Intersex Aotearoa and Gender Minorities Aotearoa.
The questions are about what kind of support is available and what kind of support you want, not about the violence that you have experienced. However, we understand that the survey may lead you to think about traumatic or distressing experiences. If you feel distressed or need trauma support while answering this survey, there are contact details for support agencies on the TOAH-NNEST website below, or you can call Safe to Talk at 0800 044 334.
If you’re intersex and you would prefer to take an intersex-specific version of the sexual and family violence survey, you can take the Intersex Aotearoa survey below.
The government recently announced their latest budget, which includes funding initiatives to improve services for transgender patients.
Transgender healthcare
The government has allocated $2.18 million over four years, to improve primary healthcare services for transgender patients. Primary healthcare refers to a broad range of health services provided in communities, such as your regular doctor (General Practitioner), practice nurses, and others working in general practices. It does not include specialists such as endocrinologists or surgeons.
*Note that the new initiatives will not affect pre-existing initiatives – they will not replace the increased funding for genital reconstruction surgeries announced in 2019.
The new funding will, in part, go toward intensive upskilling at 8 clinics around the country, which will then specialise in providing gender affirming healthcare. With eight clinics around New Zealand, it is our hope there will be coverage for both the North and the South Island.
The details have not yet been decided, and will be developed by Health New Zealand.
The Associate Minister of Health Dr. Ayesha Verall has indicated that the budget will also include the development of guidelines and training for clinicians.
Pharmac and hormones
There has also been a significant increase to Pharmac’s budget.
Pharmac has put together a proposal on expanding the provisions of certain medications, including progesterone.
Progesterone can be included in gender affirming hormone treatment for transfeminine people.
Pharmac is seeking feedback on their proposal before 5pm on Thursday the 2nd of June 2022, and we urge anyone who takes, or would like to take, progesterone to read their call for submissions and send an email in support to consult@pharmac.govt.nz
Intersex healthcare
The budget also includes $2.5 million over three years to develop a rights based approach to healthcare for intersex young people. This is intended to develop a healthcare framework in which parents of intersex infants can receive supportive and accurate information which affirms intersex existence, and where intersex people can make their own informed decisions about the medical procedures they undertake, rather than being subjected to surgeries without their consent.
One of our main focuses in 2022 is advocating for informed consent in gender affirming healthcare. Informed consent is a legal right in all areas of New Zealand healthcare. However, there is a long history of access to transgender healthcare being dependent on diagnoses and psychological assessments.
Gender Minorities Aotearoa will be delivering a free webinar as part of a series on gender-affirming healthcare for primary healthcare providers, 9th of June 2022.
Our presentation will discuss how to use an informed consent model for prescribing hormones and making surgical referrals, and the ways that the informed consent model is different from diagnostic or “gatekeeping” models.
While the webinar is for healthcare providers, anyone can attend if they are interested in learning more about informed consent in gender affirming healthcare.
This webinar is funded by the Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund, through Rule Foundation, and will be hosted by Te Ngākau Kahukura. The other webinars in this series will be from PATHA (Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa) and the Counting Ourselves research team.
Click the link below to find out more and register to attend.
While mental health referrals are good and can sit alongside an informed consent process, they should be offered as additional support, and should not be part of getting informed consent.
March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, and we’re asking you to bring visibility to trans issues by writing letters to healthcare decision makers.
Your letter could be your opinions, or your own personal experience with gender affirming healthcare – whether your experiences were positive or negative. Personal experiences touch hearts, so speaking about the impact which healthcare struggles or joys had on you and your emotions can be a strategic decision.
A flood of letters from trans people can make a huge difference, going far, far beyond raising visibility.
Context
The government is planning to replace the District Health Board (DHB) system through the Pae Ora healthcare reforms, so now is a great time to raise the profile of trans healthcare. In our Pae Ora Legislation submission, Gender Minorities Aotearoa focused on the current failure of the healthcare system to meet gender affirming healthcare needs.
You have a legal human right to receive appropriate healthcare, and you have a right to be heard when the government fails to provide it.
For the system to work, there need to be changes at every level: better funding leading to increased capacity to meet the demand without unreasonable surgical requirements, better administration creating better and consistent health pathways and better trained doctors who are not themselves an obstacle to transgender people getting the healthcare we need.
For these sweeping changes to happen, we need Health NZ, and the Ministry of Health, to show strong leadership by first acknowledging the problem and then taking effective action to fix it.
What we want
We call on the government to establish a healthcare system which meets the needs of all trans people. This means a system which acknowledges our rights under the Code of Health and Disability Consumer Rights to access necessary healthcare via informed consent/assumed competence. This also means a system which sustainably provides:
Voice therapy/training
Permanent hair removal by electrolysis, laser or IPL
Chest binding prosthetics (binders)
Chest reconstruction (double mastectomy and contouring)
Breast augmentation
Fertility preservation of both eggs and sperm
GnRH puberty suppressants (puberty blockers)
Quick and accessible readiness assessments to establish capacity for informed consent (only in situations when they are really needed)
A diverse range of hormone therapy options to suit the diverse needs that exist
Hysterectomies and oopherectomies
Orchiectomies/orchidectomies
Clearing the backlog for genital surgery, and a sustainable funding plan
Improved access to psychologists and counselors when needed
National, standardised pathways that relocate more responsibilities into primary care (GPs)
Where to send your letter
Your letter could be directed to the healthcare officials within the Ministry of Health, or the acting officials of the future Health NZ. It could also be directed to MPs who have more influence over how funding is allocated at the highest level, MPs who are already committed to championing rainbow rights, or MPs who hold a responsibility to speak out on healthcare issues.
Government healthcare officials
Health and Disability Review Transition Unit Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Parliament Buildings Wellington 6160
Dr Ashley Bloomfield (Ashley.Bloomfield@health.govt.nz) Ministry of Health 133 Molesworth Street Thorndon Wellington 6011
Martin Hefford, acting chief executive of the interim Health NZ – Martin.Hefford@health.govt.nz Ministry of Health 133 Molesworth Street Thorndon Wellington 6011
Members of Parliament
This includes MPs who have influence over the yearly budget, MPs whose portfolios cover healthcare, and MPs who are already supporters and who will be likely to amplify our concerns
Hon Grant Robertson MP (Grant.Robertson@parliament.govt.nz) Minister of Finance PO Box 18 888 Parliament Building Wellington 6160
Hon Ayesha Verrall MP Associate Minister of Health responsible for Rainbow Health PO Box 18 888 Parliament Building Wellington 6160
Hon Andrew Little MP Minister of Health PO Box 18 888 Parliament Building Wellington 6160
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere MP Green Party spokesperson for Health and Rainbow Communities PO Box 18 888 Parliament Building Wellington 6160
Chris Bishop MP National Party representative for the cross parliamentary rainbow network PO Box 18 888 Parliament Building Wellington 6160
Dr Shane Reti MP National Party spokesperson for Health PO Box 18 888 Parliament Building Wellington 6160
