I'm not putting on that floral gown: Enforcement and resistance of gender expectations for transgender people with cancer.
Ash B Alpert, Vikas Gampa, Megan C Lytle and 5 others
PMID 33745786WHAT IT FOUND
Transgender cancer patients described gendered intake forms, rooming, gowns and pronoun errors as barriers, while clinicians sometimes misgendered or pushed anatomy-based priorities.
Patients asked for normalized, inclusive oncology care.
Key findings
01Oncology care was described as assuming cisgender patients, anatomy-linked gender priorities, and gendered attire, and these assumptions were enforced through forms, rooming, and staff messaging.
02Patients said stigma and paternalism included stereotypes, refusal to room with cisgender patients, pushing anatomy-based priorities, required exams, outdated language, and misgendering.
03Participants recommended inclusive care that does not require coming out, normalizes transgender presence, and de-genders oncology care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Convenience sampling and only seven transgender patients mean the study cannot show how common these experiences are. All patient participants were White and fluent in English, so the findings may not represent transgender patients of color or patients needing language support. Physician participants were mostly cisgender, White, heterosexual, and all practiced in Massachusetts, so their views may not transfer to other settings. The study generated hypotheses and recommendations; it did not test whether inclusive care changes improve outcomes.
Declared interests
Funded by the Massachusetts Medical Society. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that de-gendering oncology care has been proven to improve access or outcomes. The study was a small qualitative interview with seven transgender patients and five physicians, and it generated recommendations rather than testing them.