ICKEBINÄRA ERFARENHETER AV KÖNSBEKRÄFTANDE VÅRD ”Det finns en smärta i att inte bli sedd för den man är.”

Abstract

Introduction: The group “nonbinary” in medical transgender research distinguish itself in multiple ways; including attitude towards healthcare-providers, experienced well-being, risk of other ailments, etc. Despite this distinction the group hasn’t been the focus of more research, and there’s an alarming lack of research focusing on treatments of gender dysphoria among the nonbinary population. Aims: To investigate the participants experiences of genderconfirming healthcare, especially the negotiation of healthcare and the process from onset of symptoms to successful treatment. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews. The eight participants self-identified as nonbinary and had received genderconfirming treatment. The transcripts were analyzed according to grounded theory as described by Charmaz.1 Results/Discussion: Relationship towards healthcare-providers: The participants trust in healthcare-providers were extremely low. They didn’t primarily view the professionals as somebody who could help them; but rather as a gatekeeper, an obstacle to pass on their way to vital treatment. 1 Kathy Charmaz, Constructing Grounded Theory (Los Angeles: SAGE, 2014). Treatments: The participants studied the research (or rather the lack of relevant research), and all also took part of the huge amount of knowledge within the trans community before contact with the evaluation-teams. They did not expect treatments to allow them to live and be identified as primarily nonbinary; but rather sought to interact with the gray areas between the two binary genders. Identity: The lack of narratives lead to an difficult situation; affecting both their own identityprocess and interactions with society and healthcare-providers. The group is made invisible and being misrepresented in culture, statistics, and research. Implications: Healthcare-providers need to focus on building alliances with the nonbinary community. More research is needed on the group itself; to discover their unique needs and issues, but also on treatments, particularly hormone treatments. Since the community has amassed an impressive library of ”proven experiences” there’s a possibility for community-based studies to incorporate this knowledge into the medical field of research.