Transgender youth living in rural Minnesota can often face significant stigmas in their community, and getting access to care is often out of the question. Even in what's considered a “trans-refuge” state like Minnesota.
This week, WCCO's Taylor Rivera is taking a closer look at their challenges in WCCO In-Depth.
Dr. Kade Goepferd with Children's Minnesota says young people and their families in rural areas may feel shame for even considering reaching out for services.
"When a young person's very existence is denied, it's really easy for them to feel hopeless and certainly have negative impacts on their mental health," says Goepferd.
Care for adolescents can include getting access to hormone suppressants, hormone therapy, and mental health resources.
Dr Goepferd says misinformation plays a huge role in holding back care for youth that seek it out.
"Information that has been intentionally put out there about essential healthcare for transgender diverse youth has led to a lot of fear among the public, including among parents," she says.
Geopferd believes educating more providers about trans-related care is key to reaching those in need outside of urban areas.
Data show that nationwide, one in three transgender people in rural areas experience discrimination by a health care provider.
Goepferd says until more providers are educated about trans-related care, these issues will continue for young people outside the Twin Cities.
"If a young child is asking questions about their gender identity, or affirming a gender identity that's different than what was assigned to them when they were born, many families have questions," Goepferd explains. "They have questions about how to approach that, questions about what to do in their school systems, and so parents really deserve access to mental health and medical experts."
See part 1 of the series here and all of WCCO In-Depth here. In part 3, we'll look at elderly LGBTQ adults who are facing distinctive barriers in today’s healthcare system.