Cultural Considerations for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's Standards of Care: The Asian Perspective

ABSTRACT

This article begins by portraying the nature of the Asian transgender experience, paying particular attention to transprejudice as a health issue, and the possible role of pathologization of gender variance in prompting and supporting transprejudice. It then outlines the range of transgender health care provision available in Asia. The article ends with seven recommendations for the seventh revision to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's (WPATH) Standards of Care (SOC-7). The first four touch on comparatively broad issues that set the scene for the provision and usage of transgender health care services. I argue that SOC-7 should (a) recognize transprejudice as a health problem, (b) depathologize gender identity variance (GIV), (c) change the language used to describe transpeople, and (d) incorporate more realistic figures for GIV prevalence. The next two recommendations focus on matters of clinical management, addressing the need for WPATH (through SOC-7) to better meet the needs of young GIV people worldwide who are in transition by (a) promoting health care service involvement in developing family and community support for young transpeople and providing basic health care information in various languages for all involved and (b) recognizing the need for more flexibility in terms of real-life experience (RLE) and age requirements during transgender health care. The final recommendation focuses on the need for WPATH to consult widely within the international trans-community when drawing up SOC-7.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender identity
• transpeople
• Asia
• health care
• standards of care

The writer thanks Fiona Kim, Chayada Lertraksakun, Lennie Chui Chi Ning, Amanda Hoi C, “Ann” Apirak Somsid, “Bon” Prempreeda Pramoj na Ayuttaya, “Nui” Wirot Chuli, “Sonia” Natchapat Srischandr, Koracoch “Kui” Singmueng, “Yu,” Brenda Alegre, Sass Rogando-Sasot, Dee Mendoza, Issey, Katrina Bautista, Patricia Bataller, “Wadab” Emanuel C. Babao, “Nelliana,” Leona Lo, Dr. Sangguan Kunaporn, Dr. Phaibul Jitpraphai, Prof. Emil Ng Man Lun, Prof. Teh Yik Koon, and others who helped in the preparation of this article.