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Census data reports high disability levels among gender-diverse individuals, 91��ɫ U research shows

egamulin — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 16:00:11 +0000

TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2025 – Using data from the latest census, 91��ɫ researchers from the Faculty of Health found Canadians who identify as gender diverse experience disability at rates much higher than their cis counterparts. In particular, non-binary individuals consistently had the highest levels of disabilities, followed by binary-transgender individuals.

Research lead says the findings — the first of their kind, as Canada is the first country to collect census information on gender identity — point to an urgent need for policymakers and the health-care system to better support trans and non-binary individuals.

“Canada just started collecting gender-identity data in the national census in 2021 and that gave us a rare opportunity to explore experiences of these groups at a national scale that's never been done before,” says Chum, Canada Research Chair in Population Health Data Science. “Things like discrimination, being misgendered, having to explain their gender to other people, and feeling invisible in health-care settings are common experiences for gender non-conforming people. It’s a lot to carry, and it can take a toll over time, especially on mental health.”

Other 91��ɫ researchers involved in the study include postdoctoral fellows and researchers at the at 91��ɫ, Yihong Bai, Peiya Cao, and Kristine Ienciu.

Because of Canada’s unique data collection, the study looked at a large sample of gender-diverse individuals — 110,000 were identified in the census — the researchers were able to dig into results for different groups of gender-diverse individuals, revealing specific vulnerabilities, says Cao. “Most studies are looking at smaller samples, so they cannot desegregate the data in that way.”

They used the term activity limitations in the study rather than disability to reflect updated language by the World Health Organization. The limitations they were specifically looked at were difficulty seeing, difficulty hearing, challenges with mobility such as walking, cognitive activity limitations (previously called cognitive disabilities), mental health limitations, and “other” which encompasses limitations lasting longer than six months.

Among the findings of the study recently published in Preventative Medicine, :

● Non-binary individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) reported the highest level of activity limitations, with more close to 75 per cent reporting at least one, followed by more than 60 per cent of non-binary individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB), nearly 45 per cent of transgender men, and close to 35 per cent of transgender women reporting limitations. Cisgender men and cisgender women had the lowest reported limitations at around 20 per cent.

● Of all the categories the researchers looked at, mental limitations showed the largest disparity, with nearly 40 per cent of non-binary AFAB individuals affected, compared to less than five per cent of cisgender men.

“These findings were persistent across household income level and age,” says Bai. “We thought there would be a disparity, but we didn't imagine the disparity was that large before we saw the results.”

These findings highlight significant disparities in activity limitations across gender identities, say the researchers, and the need for better policies and support systems, emphasizing inclusive health-care training and environments.

“When we look at the clinical literature, it shows it’s important for health care to be inclusive and supportive of these groups. So this could mean training doctors and nurses to better understand their unique challenges, making sure medical forms and environments are not assuming binary gender, providing easier access to things like gender-affirming care, and addressing mental health issues can help,” says Chum.

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About 91��ɫ:

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact: Emina Gamulin, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 437-217-6362, egamulin@yorku.ca

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“Cisgender-biased gender affirmative medical assessments are regrettable”

roshanp — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 15:43:17 +0000

Those seeking gender-affirming hormones and surgeries have to jump through hoops to prove they are truly trans, says 91��ɫ trans researcher

TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2021 – Canada’s stringent eligibility screenings for medical transition — to prevent “regret” or detransition — ignore trans people’s gender related perspectives and experiences, says 91��ɫ Professor , lead author of a new study.

It’s impossible for anyone to know with 100 per cent certainty how they will feel after transformative medical interventions such as gender-affirming hormones, says MacKinnon. “So, the common narratives that a trans person who detransitions is a failure, or is in a botched or medically harmed body, or was never really trans, reflect cisgender misunderstandings about trans people.”

According to the study, “” published in the December issue of Elsevier’s Social Science & Medicine journal, there is little evidence that detransition is caused by medical failure, at the same time, clinical assessments suggest clinicians’ fear of liability.

The study highlights that the medical standards were created in the 1960s by cisgender doctors who largely feared lawsuits by patients seeking medical transition; and the eligibility checklists that health care providers use today are reflective of this history.

Another concern identified in the study is that some surgeons send their trans patients for additional psychiatric assessments, and the psychiatrist acts as an added security blanket to assuage worries about transition regret and malpractice lawsuit. These practices erroneously cast trans people as more “risky” patients, the study reveals.

Since trans identity is conflated with mental illness, double standards in surgical decision-making arise, notes MacKinnon, who is in the School of Social Work, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. “Cisgender women, for instance, are never required to get a psychiatric capacity assessment for breast implants. Cisgender men do not require a capacity assessment to have chest implant surgery. But transgender people have to go through ‘mental readiness’ assessments.”

The study also highlights that there are barely any quality peer-reviewed studies to substantiate the claim that regret/detransitioning is on the rise. “Even if detransition rates are increasing, we don’t know the proportion of those who truly regret this outcome, versus those who have a positive outlook,” says MacKinnon. “Adding to the problem are disproportionate media representations which amplify only negative or “regretful” detransition stories, while excluding detransitioners who experience their transition outcomes as neutral or even positive.”

The research team included Florence Ashley, Faculty of Law and Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto; Hannah Kia in the School of Social Work, University of British Columbia; J. S.H. Lam, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Yonah Krakowsky, Division of Urology, University of Toronto; and Lori Ross, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto.

Based on this research, MacKinnon is leading a follow-up study, which aims to develop better guidance for care providers who work with trans, detransitioned, and other gender diverse populations who stop transitioning or change the direction of their gender transitions.

91��ɫ is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change and prepare our students for success. 91��ɫ's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. 91��ɫ’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 647-463-4354, suhasini@yorku.ca

The post “Cisgender-biased gender affirmative medical assessments are regrettable” appeared first on News@91��ɫ.