Refusing to acknowledge their gender identity and choice of language harms the therapeutic relationship, is discriminatory, and insults the patient. When & How to Talk to Your Patients about Their Gender & Sex, © 2021 Hospital for Special Surgery. “I don’t even like the word transgender. In an article by The Rheumatologist, HSS rheumatologist Michael D. Lockshin, MD, and director of community engagement, diversity and research Jillian Rose, LCSW, MPH, explained how to communicate with patients about gender identity while providing medical care. Intake forms should include questions about the patient’s sex at birth, gender identity, preferred pronouns and sexual orientation. PUEBLO, Colo. ⁠— Starting Wednesday, Parkview Medical Center will begin asking patients to define their gender identity. Rheumatologists need to know if a patient has female sex organs and could become pregnant while using a teratogenic drug, such as methotrexate, or if a patient is taking hormones for … As nurses, it is important to be culturally sensitive to all patients, respective of diversity, and appropriate with care. Transgender is an umbrella term that refers to people who don't identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Ask which pronoun they would prefer to be used and be … "Being aware of these issues is a key first step. Gender identity is a person’s inner sense of being a girl/woman/female, a boy/man/male, some-thing else, or having no gender. “It’s a different day and age now. ISSN 1931-3268 (print) Providers should start with an open-ended question, such as “Tell me a bit about yourself.” In talking about his or her life and family, the patient may bring up issues related to sexual orientation or gender identity.2 Providers can facilitate … He suggests starting by asking the patient’s name and preferred pronoun, followed by any important clinical questions. This function is to make the clinic experience feel more inclusive to patients. Record keeping and communication in the new gender role. About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use. I feel like a straight male. Mr. Orndorff told his parents that he wanted to have a sex change when he was six years old. Identity is our internal experience and designation of our gender. sexual orientation, behavior, and gender identity during the patient’s visit. I know my physicians want to give me the best care possible.”. Suggested wording: Sex assigned at birth: __ male __ female __ intersex __ prefer not to disclose Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012. At Johns Hopkins, he builds each new patient’s chart in the hospital’s electronic health record (EHR) with information on sex at birth, gender identity and preferred pronoun. "If a clinician selects the chart of a patient who has identified as intersex… a best practice warning pops up", said Rose. For example, males in the present study sample stated that knowing sexual orientation and gender identity is asked of all patients would facilitate disclosure. Together, these questions replace “Sex: male or female?” on patient information forms and in EHRs. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S. "Choices of medications are dictated by the fertility and pregnancy desires," Dr. Lockshin said. “Asking all patients their gender identity and pronouns creates a gender-affirming environment,” according to Dr. Carly Guss of Boston Children's Hospital. Rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals need to clarify sex and gender with new patients who are transgender, intersex or genderqueer (see the sidebar below, for definitions of these and other related terms), says Mr. Orndorff. Module 1 in the "Caring for Transgender and Gender Non-conforming patients for the Obstetrician Gynecologist" series. He said that his "current doctor has been wonderful and fully respectful, but those interactions are few and far between." How do you ask a new patient about sex and gender—or know which pronoun to use?