Transgender, Gender-Diverse, and Nonbinary Experiences in Physical Therapy: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.
Madelaine Aird, Julie L Walters, Alex Ker and 1 others
PMID 38982731WHAT IT FOUND
Transgender, gender-diverse, and nonbinary clients in New Zealand physical therapy described safety and trust as decisive.
They valued clinics that used chosen names and pronouns, respected consent for touch, and used body terms participants said helped with dysphoria.
Key findings
01Participants described safety and trust as central to whether they sought and continued physical therapy.
02Clinic processes such as gender-neutral greetings, chosen-name and pronoun space, and self-describe gender options helped participants feel their gender was recognised.
03Participants reported that asking consent for touch, using preferred anatomy terms, warning before disrobing, offering draping and privacy, and being sensitive to mirrors helped them feel more comfortable.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included 17 interviews, so it cannot show how common these experiences are. All participants were clients of one gender-affirming clinic in urban New Zealand, and most had sought care only at that clinic. The clinic was subsidised and gender-affirming, so positive experiences may not reflect clinics without those supports. The study reported themes and experiences, not physical therapy outcomes or effectiveness. Most participants were New Zealand European and urban, so some groups may be underrepresented. Findings were from a progressive legislative and social context, so transferability to other countries is limited.
Declared interests
Funding came from the School of Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, and Auckland University of Technology. The funders played no role in design, conduct, or reporting.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that a gender-affirming clinic improves physical therapy outcomes. It reports experiences from 17 clients at one subsidised New Zealand clinic, and it did not test effectiveness or compare care across settings.