18.20 Transgender Considerations

People seeking gynecological and obstetric care can be of any age, race, education level, or marital status. Most clients seeking reproductive health care are heterosexual with gender identities aligned with their sex assigned at birth, but nurses also provide reproductive care for LGBTQIA+ clients. Research indicates that only 50 percent of transgender men (people who identify as a male but were assigned female gender at birth) routinely see a gynecologic provider. Gynecologic care for transgender men may include prescriptions for testosterone or birth control, screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, and diagnostic testing such as Pap smears and mammograms. Transgender men may also choose to become pregnant and require obstetric care. Nurses provide health teaching to all clients regarding their reproductive health and advocate for effective treatment.^[1]