Medicalisation and beyond: Navigating patient and provider experiences of gender-affirming healthcare in Australia

Background: As more trans people seek gender-affirming care in Australia, increased focus has been paid to the capacity of healthcare services to meet the demand. 

Aims: This study aimed to examine whether medicalised understandings influence the ways in which individuals navigate the Australian gender-affirming healthcare system. 

Method: Using a qualitative and dyadic methodology, seven South Australian healthcare providers were interviewed and sixty trans people were surveyed. Data were analyzed thematically. 

Results: Four themes were developed: 1) Systemic Roadblocks to Accessing Care, 2) Unprepared Providers and Patient Impact, 3) Navigating Risk, Comorbidities and Policy, and 4) Medicalisation and the Gender Binary. 

Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for informed consent approaches that transcend transnormative and pathologising frameworks and instead prioritize patient autonomy.