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Holy shit, that's a long wait time.
That’s cruel. There are more doctors that are qualified and willing to perform these procedures and I would argue that it’s the ethical responsibility of the public health system to do whatever it takes to utilize these doctors.
Tbh I'm always amazed by how trans care is so... whacky.
Like, the US is becoming more and more hostile towards trans people (especially trans women), and US healthcare means gender affirming care can be very expensive (especially surgery-related stuff). On the other hand, adults in the US can typically start HRT within a week of seeing a doctor because the US allows for informed consent; you see a doctor, request hrt, they inform you of the risks and effects, and if you consent, you can begin HRT. Then, if you have the money or really good insurance, you could be """finished""" transitioning (be on hrt and have gender-affirming surguries done) within a year or two. You probably still won't pass because I've been told it can take years for HRT to fully feminize/masculinize you, but at that point the only thing left is waiting for your body to do its thing.
Then you have Canada and European countries, where, based on what I've seen, they tend to be more accepting of trans people and trans care tends to be covered by the government (or so I've heard). However, they have all kinds of waiting periods, from being forced to wait several years to ensure you're "truly trans", waiting again to see if your surgery is approved, waiting again for an opening, waiting again because the doctor decided to take the week of your surgery off to go on vacation, etc.
Then you have Australia and New Zealand where you're forced to wait and there's no guarantee the government will cover the medical costs of transitioning.
Why is this so hard?
Why can't people get their shit together so it doesn't take a decade or more for someone to finish transitioning?
Considering the symptoms and side effects of gender dysphoria, it's unlikely someone suffering from gender dysphoria will be functioning at maximum efficiency. As such, while it might appear more expensive on paper, it seems like the impact of prioritizing gender affirming care (similar to how I assume people with cancer and disabilities are prioritized) would be cheaper long-term. The faster you get them care, the sooner they can start working at their maximum potential; and the sooner they start working at their maximum potential, the larger the benefit they can provide to society.
Just to add, although the US allows informed consent for adults, some of us are still required to do a certain number of months in therapy and/or provide letters from mental health professionals before we can access hrt or surgery, because that's what some health insurance companies require. Even then, ofc, the option does exist to do informed consent and pay out of pocket.
Yeah, 12 months lived in experience, 2 therapist letters (one had to have a PhD), and one primary letter to get me bottom surgery. Also they wouldn't even do the consultation before I get all that done so it was almost another year after that.
Oof, that's harsh. I'm glad you managed to trudge through it. It's not unlike how difficult, if not impossible (and expensive) it is in some states (mine included :/) to get a legal name and/or gender marker changed.
They just gotta make it as hard as they can, don't they.. 🙃