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Can healthcare professionals implement an inclusive and positive approach for gender affirming healthcare for non-binary individuals?

Introduction

When it comes to many individuals looking for the right healthcare options for their ailments and general well-being, it can be scary and challenging to some, including many individuals within the LGBTQ+ community. Many individuals need to research when finding positive and safe healthcare facilities that listen to what the person is dealing with when getting a routine check-up or their ailments treated. Within the LGBTQ+ community, many individuals do find it difficult to express what is affecting their bodies due to past traumas of not being seen or heard due to their identities, pronouns, and orientation. This can cause numerous barriers between them and their primary doctor, leading to a negative experience. However, when medical professionals provide a positive, safe environment, listen to the person’s ailments, and be non-judgmental to their patients, they can open the doors to improving inclusive healthcare wellness within the LGBTQ+ community. Today’s article focuses on one identity within the LGBTQ+ community, known as non-binary, and how inclusive healthcare can be optimized while benefitting many individuals dealing with general aches, pains, and conditions within their bodies. Coincidentally, we communicate with certified medical providers who incorporate our patients’ information to provide a safe and positive experience in inclusive healthcare. We also inform them that there are non-surgical options to reduce the effects of general aches and pain while restoring their quality of life. We encourage our patients to ask amazing educational questions to our associated medical providers about their symptoms correlating with body pain in a safe and positive environment. Dr. Alex Jimenez, D.C., incorporates this information as an academic service. Disclaimer

 

What Is Non-Binary Gender?

 

The term non-binary is used within the LGBTQ+ community to describe a person who doesn’t identify as a male or female within the gender identity spectrum. Non-binary individuals can even fall under various gender identities that make them who they are. These can include:

  • Genderqueer: An individual who doesn’t follow the traditional gender norm.
  • Agender: An individual who doesn’t identify with any gender. 
  • Genderfluid: An individual whose gender identity is not fixed or can change over time.
  • Intergender: An individual who identifies as a combination of male and female.
  • Androgynous: An individual whose gender expression combines masculine and feminine traits.
  • Gender Non-Conforming: An individual who doesn’t conform to society’s expectation of gender identity. 
  • Transgender: An individual whose gender identity is different from their assigned gender at birth.

When it comes to non-binary binary individuals looking for healthcare treatment for their ailments, it can be a bit of a challenge as many individuals who identify as non-binary within the LGBTQ+ community have to deal with the socio-economic impact when getting treatment, which can lead to unnecessary stress when going in for a routine check-up or getting their ailments treated. (Burgwal et al., 2019) When this happens, it can lead to a negative experience for the individual and make them feel inferior. However, when healthcare professionals take the time to be properly trained, use the correct pronouns, and create an inclusive, positive, and safe space for individuals who identify as non-binary, it can open the doors to creating more of an inclusive awareness and lead to more appropriate care for the LGBTQ+ community. (Tellier, 2019)

 


Optimizing Your Wellness- Video

Do you or your loved ones are dealing with consistent pain in their bodies that makes it difficult to function? Do you feel stress in different body locations that correlate with musculoskeletal disorders? Or do your ailments seem to be affecting your daily routine? More often than not, in today’s ever-changing world, many individuals are researching safe and inclusive healthcare treatments to reduce their ailments. It is an important aspect to many individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, as finding the appropriate care they need can be stressful. Many healthcare professionals must provide the best possible healthcare and interventions within the LGBTQ+ community to understand the health disparities that they are experiencing. (Rattay, 2019) When healthcare professionals create a negative experience with their patients within the LGBTQ+ community, it can cause them to develop socio-economic stressors that can overlap with their pre-existing condition, creating barriers. When disparities are associated with socio-economic stressors, it can lead to poor mental health. (Baptiste-Roberts et al., 2017) When this happens, it can lead to coping mechanisms and resilience that can correlate with serious implications for the person’s overall health and well-being. However, all is not lost, as many healthcare professionals are integrating into safe, affordable, and positive healthcare spaces for individuals who identify as non-binary. We here at Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic will work on reducing the effects of health disparities while raising awareness to continuously improve positive and inclusive experiences for non-binary individuals seeking inclusive healthcare. Check out the video above to learn more about optimizing wellness to improve your health and well-being.


How To Optimize Non-Binary Inclusive Healthcare?

When it comes to inclusive health care for non-binary individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, many healthcare providers must honor the individual’s gender identity while creating a positive and trusting relationship to reduce the ailments they are experiencing. By making a safe and positive experience for their patients, LGBTQ+ individuals will start to address to their doctors what issues they are experiencing, and it allows the doctor to come up with a personalized health care plan that is catered to them while improving their health outcomes. (Gahagan & Subirana-Malaret, 2018) At the same time, being an advocate and systemically improving, including gender-affirming care, can lead to positive results and benefit LGBTQ+ individuals. (Bhatt et al., 2022)


References

Baptiste-Roberts, K., Oranuba, E., Werts, N., & Edwards, L. V. (2017). Addressing Health Care Disparities Among Sexual Minorities. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am, 44(1), 71-80. doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2016.11.003

 

Bhatt, N., Cannella, J., & Gentile, J. P. (2022). Gender-affirming Care for Transgender Patients. Innov Clin Neurosci, 19(4-6), 23-32. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35958971

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9341318/pdf/icns_19_4-6_23.pdf

 

Burgwal, A., Gvianishvili, N., Hard, V., Kata, J., Garcia Nieto, I., Orre, C., Smiley, A., Vidic, J., & Motmans, J. (2019). Health disparities between binary and non binary trans people: A community-driven survey. Int J Transgend, 20(2-3), 218-229. doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2019.1629370

 

Gahagan, J., & Subirana-Malaret, M. (2018). Improving pathways to primary health care among LGBTQ populations and health care providers: key findings from Nova Scotia, Canada. Int J Equity Health, 17(1), 76. doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0786-0

 

Rattay, K. T. (2019). Improved Data Collection for Our LGBTQ Population is Needed to Improve Health Care and Reduce Health Disparities. Dela J Public Health, 5(3), 24-26. doi.org/10.32481/djph.2019.06.007

 

Tellier, P.-P. (2019). Improving health access for gender diverse children, youth, and emerging adults? Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 24(2), 193-198. doi.org/10.1177/1359104518808624

 

Disclaimer

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Non-Binary & Inclusive Gender Affirming Healthcare" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
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