The guide is a primer for healthcare providers interested in learning about accessible, supportive, and inclusive health communication with intersex patients. It is the first specifically written for the Canadian context. Content was shaped by original interviews with intersex adults and healthcare providers from diverse areas of care, as well as a comprehensive literature review.

Towards Affirmative Intersex Health Communication in Canada is the final component of a multi-year SSHRC-funded project. The heart of this research initiative was to help work towards improving health communication practices with intersex people in Canada via interdisciplinary research and community engagement. While there have been important inroads in medical reforms in recent years, people with intersex variations continue to face stigma, discrimination, and pathologization in healthcare, as well as significant disparities in access and outcomes. Health communication forms a crucial component of positive health outcomes and well-being.

This project contributes to a small but vital and growing body of work that centers intersex voices regarding the Canadian context for intersex healthcare. It is also the first to include perspectives both from intersex adults experiencing health communication in Canada and people trained and working in the Canadian healthcare system on what is needed towards affirmative health communication as the status quo.

The guide discusses four key aspects of affirmative communication between patients and providers: patient-centred care, shared decision-making, culturally responsive trauma-informed care, and accessible and relevant medical information. Further, the guide provides notes on terminology and concepts, highlights needs for different life stages, offers suggestions for welcoming healthcare environments, and addresses structural barriers to access.

Originally published at: https://www.genomicsandpolicy.org/Ressources/36.pdf