Guide adapts transgender healthcare to Latin America's realities

A new clinical guide aims to transform transgender healthcare across Latin America by adapting international medical standards to the region's unique economic, social, and health system realities. Launched by civil organizations, the Guías de Atención Latinoamericana para la Salud Trans (GALA) addresses the critical lack of tailored guidelines for healthcare professionals in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Antilles.

Daniela Muñoz Jiménez, a co-author of the guide and director of TransSalud, explained that while the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) provides international guidelines, these are often based on more affluent contexts, particularly the United States. "The WPATH guidelines are a way to follow medicine for more affordable medications in the United States, literally," Muñoz told EFE.

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The WPATH guidelines are a way to follow medicine for more affordable medications in the United States, literally.

The GALA guide, presented in Mexico City on International Transgender Health Day, synthesizes the clinical experience of specialists who have treated over 7,000 patients across 23 countries in the region. It considers factors ranging from medication accessibility to legal frameworks, offering a more practical approach for local practitioners.

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Not treating a transgender person throughout their life costs the state 1,600,000 pesos (about $91,300). Providing access for forty years would cost about 600,000 pesos (about $34,200).

One significant aspect of the guide is its focus on the economic impact of providing timely care versus the cost of treating complications arising from lack of access. Muñoz highlighted that not treating a transgender person throughout their life can cost the state significantly more than providing consistent, lifelong care. The guide also adopts a "depathologizing" perspective, emphasizing that medical practice must consider the social, economic, and cultural context of transgender individuals, not just their clinical condition.

Furthermore, GALA challenges widely circulated data, such as the claim that the average life expectancy for transgender individuals is 35 years. Muñoz argued that this figure originates from a study focused on a specific, vulnerable subgroup, trans sex workers facing issues like substance abuse, HIV, and migration, and is therefore not representative of the entire transgender population. "This 35-year figure is erroneous, stigmatizing, and pathologizing. It's not just a number," she stated, noting that such data can inflate life insurance premiums for trans individuals by 50% to 70%.

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This 35-year figure is erroneous, stigmatizing, and pathologizing. It's not just a number.