World First For F.T.M. Medical Research

by Katherine Cummings & Maggie Smith

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As mentioned in Phinn's column on page 4, the Gender Centre and the Livingstone Road Sexual Health Clinic are applying for a grant from the Sydney South West Area Health Service (S.S.W.A.H.S.) to carry out a study on the medical needs of F.T.M.s.

Polare interviewed Maggie Smith of the Livingstone Road Sexual Health Clinic on 28th March ...

Polare: What will your first, or major, area of research be if you are successful in obtaining a grant from the S.S.W.A.H.S.?

Maggie: The first area will be cervical screening for F.T.M.s. There has been no published research in this area and it is vitally important that we establish the current situation with regard to the danger of cervical cancer in the F.T.M. community and the need for F.T.M.s to recognise the fact that they still need cervical screening, up to the point where they have had a complete hysterectomy and no longer have a cervix.

Polare: There must be a psychological and emotional barrier for F.T.M.s who are living their lives as men and identifying totally with their male gender, to approach a doctor and ask for medical procedures identified with female health.

Maggie: We think that's true, although even that needs to be surveyed to establish whether this resistance is common among F.T.M.s and whether in fact there is a higher incidence of cervical cancer among F.T.M.s than there should be, because pap smears are not being sought. One of the aims of the research questionnaire will be to establish the attitude of F.T.M.s to seeking medical help with their residual female health problems.

Polare: How about the other side of the coin? Are there doctors who resist the idea of treating transitioned F.T.M.s for medical problems usually associated with women? I am thinking of the case of Robert Eads in the United States who died of ovarian cancer, partly because more than two dozen doctors refused to treat him. Eads was the subject of an award-winning film, "Southern Comfort" at the Sundance Film Festival in 2001 but even the publicity surrounding the film and his death in 1999 do not seem to have raised much awareness in the general public or the medical profession. Maybe it is a case of preaching to the choir rather than the congregation. Do we need to get the information out to the medical profession and the general public?

Maggie: Definitely, and that will be the ultimate aim of our research. Assuming we can spread the word that the survey is being undertaken, and can carry out research on the topic at a professional level, write papers for publication in medical journals, and for presentation at medical conferences, we hope the end result will be greater awareness in the public, the medical profession and the F.T.M. community. In fairness to the Australian medical community we are not aware of any cases where a doctor has refused to help a transgendered person because of transgender status.

Polare: Personally, if I am changing doctors I always make them aware at the outset of my transgendered status, simply because I assume it may be useful information for them. I have never been treated negatively as a result. Usually the doctor is interested and wants to find out more and I finish up handing out a lot of informational material. But getting back to your research, how do you intend to set about gathering the information you need? Is it not true that there are even more "stealth" F.T.M.s in the community than M.T.F.s? If, as studies overseas are tending to show, there is not the great imbalance between M.T.F. and F.T.M. that was assumed for many years, where are the F.T.M.s? We still see many more M.T.F.s. Is this because F.T.M.s fit into society more easily, are harder to recognise as transgendered and do not need the support of a community of their peers to give them confidence? And if this is true, how will you obtain your data?

Maggie: We will be using a variety of approaches. We will be designing a questionnaire which will be made available in a variety of ways, through the Gender Centre, through Polare, through the Livingstone Road Clinic and other sexual health clinics, through medical professionals concerned with the F.T.M. community, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, surgeons, and probably through the general media, radio interviews, talk-back radio, television community awareness shows as well as specialised media such as the Sydney Star Observer and more general media outlets such as local newspapers and the major press publications like the Sydney Morning Herald. Much depends on what we can get in the way of free exposure but it is vital that we spread our information net as widely as we can, including country areas.

Polare: I should have asked this earlier. Who will be the medical professionals most closely associated with this study? And can anyone make contact if they wish to take part?

Maggie: The professionals will be Nicky Sharp and myself, Maggie Smith, both qualified nurses at the Livingstone Road Sexual Health Clinic, (see the Directory at the back of Polare. And yes, please contact us by phone (9560 3057 2 - 5pm) if you wish to be involved.

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