Transgender Primary Medical Care: Suggested Guidelines for Clinicians in BC

As part of the Trans Care Project, a joint initiative of the Transgender Health Program and Transcend Transgender Support & Education Society (with funding by the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition), local and international experts in transgender care worked with local members of the transgender community to create 7 sets of guidelines for health and social service providers in BC, and 17 health information booklets for transgender people and loved ones.

The purpose of this guide is to assist the primary medical care provider (family physician or nurse) to give appropriate care to their transgender patients. Some of the tasks outlined in these guidelines are specific to physicians’ scope of practice, but many are also applicable to advanced practice nursing. This document is intended for primary care providers who have already taken transgender sensitivity/awareness training or have experience working with transgender individuals, and are seeking more advanced guidance on how to be clinically effective in providing care.