Whanganui Welcomes Its First Gender Affirming Healthcare Clinic

Gender Care Whanganui, the city's pioneering clinic for gender affirming healthcare, is officially launching with support from Pride Whanganui and funding from Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. This groundbreaking initiative represents a significant advancement in the region’s commitment to equitable and compassionate healthcare for gender diverse people.

Clinic Overview

Gender Care Whanganui is set to provide a comprehensive range of services tailored to support the unique needs of those seeking gender affirming care. The clinic's offerings include consultations with a Gender Affirming GP, peer support, clinical psychology services, support groups, and access to gender affirming products. The clinic will initially operate on a monthly basis, with a review of its frequency scheduled after six months.

Funding and Support

This new clinic is made possible through a $100,000 funding grant over three years, awarded by Health NZ following a successful application by Gender Care Whanganui. This is part of an initiative designed to improve access to gender affirming primary care for transgender and non-binary people in Aotearoa and support improved health outcomes.

Need for the Clinic

The establishment of Gender Care Whanganui responds to a critical need identified by the Rainbow Healthcare Reference Group, a coalition of 24 medical professionals from Manawatū and Whanganui, community feedback obtained by Pride Whanganui and research conducted by Health and Research Collaborative Whanganui. The results underscored significant barriers faced by transgender and gender diverse individuals in accessing adequate healthcare, with elevated risks of mental health issues and distress. This clinic aims to address these disparities by providing a dedicated space for gender affirming care.

Clinic Operations and Services

Patients will benefit from a supportive environment focused on individual needs and goals. Services provided include consultations with a Gender Affirming GP, access to peer support workers, clinical psychology, and gender affirming products. Importantly, there is no cost to patients for appointments. The clinic will not replace patients’ existing GPs for other medical needs and instead will complement ongoing care.

Appointment Information

To make an appointment, individuals complete a self-referral form available on the Pride Whanganui website. Health professionals can follow the community health pathway for advice on how to refer or complete the self-referral form on their patient’s behalf. First appointments will focus on understanding patients' needs and discussing their gender affirming healthcare goals. Hormone therapy and other treatments will be considered following a comprehensive evaluation.

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