Healthcare Equality for the Transgender Population/Blog Post #3

           Very recently, the state of Oregon has passed a law saying that by October 1, 2014, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) will have to provide equal benefits for transgender Oregonians. This includes mental healthcare, hormone treatments, and evaluations. Transgender people will have the same benefits (and restrictions) as non-transgender individuals of the same identifying gender.

The new law, the first of its kind, establishes the following mandates, as outlined by the Basic Rights Oregon Organization:

·      Health insurers may not categorically exclude transgender patients from coverage.

·      Health insurers must provide coverage and cannot deny coverage of treatments for transgender policy holders if the same treatments are covered for other policy holders.

·      Health insurers may not deny treatment on the basis of a policy holder’s actual or perceived gender. That means that all policy holders can rely on annual exams, cancer screenings, and gender-specific health care, regardless of their gender on file.

·      The statewide mandate for coverage of mental health services must apply to transgender patients.

While Oregon is the first state in the U.S. to pass a law like this, there are a few other instances in which transgender people have been guaranteed nondiscriminatory healthcare. For example, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has a nondiscriminatory clause based on gender identity. However this only protects transgender people against denial of coverage and disparities in rates. It does not require insurance companies to provide transition-related services. In July 2012, San Francisco moved to provide transition-related services to Healthy San Francisco, a healthcare program for uninsured residents. Unfortunately, implementation of this law has been slow.

            Puberty-suppressing treatments will also be made more accessible, which is crucial for many people’s transitions. For transgender youth in particular, puberty is a dreaded event with a timestamp attached. Pre-pubescent youth questioning their gender identity usually want to stage off puberty for the time being so they can figure things out before their bodies begin to change. Once they begin puberty, it is much more difficult to physically transition (but not completely impossible). Because of this, many questioning youth choose to begin puberty-blocking hormones, which simultaneously buy the adolescents time and also “spare the young teenagers the angst of developing secondary sex characteristics that feel terribly wrong to them” (Padawer). Counseling can also be critical for helping people make sense of their feelings before making a decision. Both of these resources will be available to transgendered people in Oregon under this law.

            Here is a photo of a woman’s transition with the help of hormone treatment. As you can see, hormone treatments drastically affect a person’s appearance, and help them become the person they want to be.

This monumental decision has personal significance for my family and me. My sister is a trans-female, meaning she has transitioned from male to female. She always remembers feeling a disconnect between how society perceived her (as male) and how she perceived herself (as female). For Lark, her transition has been about correlating her external identity with the internal identity she has always held. Since “coming out,” she has faced seemingly insurmountable discrimination and hate from others, including from the U.S.’s healthcare system. Before she saved up enough money to change her name and gender on her driver’s license, she had trouble at doctors’ offices. Furthermore, she has to pay a large monthly fee for hormone treatments. These medications are just birth control, which I get free through insurance every month because I am anatomically female. Yet the treatments my sister so desperately wants in order to become who she is has to be factored into her monthly budget. This is the very definition of discrimination. So why is it just now being (very slowly) addressed?

            I would argue that transgender people have a harder time being accepted by society than others in the LGBTQIA community. Would you agree? Why?

            Furthermore, I should add a disclaimer that I am a huge advocate for a universal healthcare system in the U.S. Is there anyone who does not believe in universal healthcare? And if you don’t, do you think that transgender people deserve these benefits, or do you think the way it is now (in most states) is nondiscriminatory? I would really enjoy your insights if you don’t mind sharing!

-Grace M. 

Sources:

http://www.basicrights.org/featured/historic-news-oregon-removes-barriers-to-transition-related-care/

http://www.basicrights.org/uncategorized/oregon-health-plan-to-cover-treatments-for-trans-children-starting-2014/

http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/oregon-bans-transgender-health-care-discrimination/

http://www.sfprideatwork.org/general/local-and-national-trans-healthcare-victories/

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/magazine/whats-so-bad-about-a-boy-who-wants-to-wear-a-dress.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://longhornbambam.tumblr.com/post/30075065222/estrogen-is-a-hell-of-a-drug-imgur

Sex Education and Legal Matters/Blog Post #2

Sex education is currently one of the most fired-up issues in the United States.  There’s a seemingly endless spectrum of opinions on the best way to approach the matter: from what variance from what appropriate age (if any) should a ‘sex talk’ be given, to the battle between comprehensive and abstinent-only education (and the fluctuation between the groups), there’s a lot to discuss.

At the moment, 22 states (and the District of Columbia) require any sex education and 33 states (and DC) require HIV education.  In 35 states, parents may opt their children out of the program instated by their school. (1)

The state of North Dakota, however, has come to light in its sex education policies in a recent affair with North Dakota State University.  Two professors from NDSU received a competitive grant for $1.2 million last September to launch a three-year comprehensive sex education program for the Fargo area.  (2) However, President Bresciani of NDSU has frozen the funds, allegedly because they may go against a law effective as of July 2012 that requires K-12 schools in the state to ensure any sexual health curriculum “includes instruction pertaining to the risks associated with adolescent sexual activity and the social, psychological, and physical health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity before and outside marriage.”

The controversy stems from the program's ties to Planned Parenthood and is thought that there could be a breach in the law.  According to the professors, though, the funds do not conflict with the law because it was to be taught outside of the schools and only to those teens who voluntarily agreed to participate with parental consent. (2)

At the very least, this is an analogy to what the country is experiencing regarding the matter: the issue is split and no one can agree on what to make of it.  Furthermore, it is proof of great disagreement and a lack of consensus on what to do on the matter and demonstrates that sex education here still has a long way to go.  As we carry on with this issue, it is crucial to keep the facts presented in mind-- after all, it's the most vulnerable in our society that will be impacted by the decisions made now and that will either grow or suffer as a result.

Sources:
1) https://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_SE.pdf

2) http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/177766/

India and Sex in the News/Blog Post #1

On December 16th, 2012, an Indian woman was viciously raped on a moving bus. The woman died shortly after at a hospital in Singapore. Following the appalling gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in India, there has been uprising and protests in response to the incident. The incident, which occurred in December, is one of 24,000 rapes that are reported each year in India. The protests and uprisings reflect a cultural movement toward a more liberal society that is working to eliminate the stigma and shame attached to Indian women who have been raped. It is important to realize that the issue of rape in India have been a problem for quite some time in the country. There is no question that the report of rapes has increased; however the global media attention is adding flames to the fire. In Indian media, rapes are commonly reported and publicized, yet have not been picked up on a world platform to the extent of their coverage today.

Why has this become a global issue? The recent political uprise and frustration with a corrupt government could be to blame for this new found media attention. As the country pushes its boundaries towards a more liberal society, tension between progressive thinkers and traditionalists increases. The infamous December 16th assault and court trial has brought the penal code for such charges on to a political scale. Ranjana Kumari, director of the Center for Social Research in New Delhi explains this issue was put, “on the political agenda, which has never, ever happened before this.”

The recent coverage of the rapes in India poses a question: What would be the reaction if an American woman was raped in India? Chances are, the episode would explode into an enormous global issue. This could be for many reasons. However, most prominent is the clash of two cultures-- one having historical proof of devaluing other races in comparison to white people. Yes, there are racial undertones. However, the fact of the matter is we as Americans are separated by more than just bodies of water to the Indian population—we are separated by values. In the United States, for example, self expression (i.e. acting passionately for those we care about) is a form of communication. In India, expression is not nearly as common. This difference is most likely due a combination of gender roles and social conditioning. The bottom line, though, is that while these rapes are nothing less than tragic, the December 16th rape has not been in vain. It has led to a unification of victims in India and is allowing the people to finally gain a louder voice.

The recent increase in reporting of rapes in India has galvanized into protests and political uprising. This has positively affected women as they have used this as a tool to find their voice against sexual violence. The once taboo topic has made its way to the forefront of Indian political agenda, and it’s not going away any time soon.

-Bonita H.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/baroness-mary-goudie/sexual-violence-in-india-education-the-solution_b_2447378.html
http://world.time.com/2013/01/14/sexual-violence-in-india-how-long-will-the-medias-interest-last/