You, AFFIRMED: a gender-affirming occupational therapy program for top surgery

According to the Human Rights Campaign (n.d.), the nation’s largest LGBTQIA+ civil rights organization, there are approximately two million people living within the U.S. who identify as transgender. Gender-affirming healthcare encompasses a variety of services, including hormone therapy, surgical interventions such as genital and top surgery, and mental health services. While surgery may or may not be part of an individual’s personal transition roadmap, research indicates that gender-affirming surgery can significantly improve quality of life (Stroumsa, 2014). However, a study by De Brouwer et al. (2021) found that 65% of transgender individuals reported the desire for increased post-operative care including guidance and education regarding “what are you allowed to do and what not” to do following surgery (p. 1925). The transition process can impact a person’s occupational identity, occupational competence, and overall occupational well-being (Bar et al., 2016). Although deficits in occupational performance and satisfaction have been reported within transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) populations (Swenson et al., 2022), occupational therapy services are not typically provided or included within the gender-affirming care model. Occupational therapy services have the potential to decrease deficits experienced by TGD individuals due to the holistic nature of the profession and its focus on client-centered care. you, AFFIRMED is an innovative program that will provide occupational therapy services pre- and post- gender-affirming top surgery through a six-week program delivered virtually for improved access to healthcare services. you, AFFIRMED aims to improve post-surgical outcomes and general well-being for TGD individuals undergoing gender-affirming top surgery through the provision of individualized occupational therapy services. Furthermore, the program intends to increase the representation of occupational therapy within multidisciplinary gender-affirming healthcare services. Finally, the program intends to further improve access to occupational therapy services through telehealth modalities due to deficits in accessing qualified healthcare professionals and challenges with financial coverage of services.

Author dc:creator

• Vines, Sarah Michelle

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Durkin, Ryan
• Jacobs, Karen

• Occupational therapy
• Gender-affirming care
• Gender-diverse
• LGBTQIA+
• Transgender

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution 4.0 International

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2144/49176

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.bu.edu:2144/49176