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The following is a summary of the study “Primary care provider beliefs and knowledge of prescribing gender-affirming hormone therapy to transgender and gender diverse patients,” published in the October 2024 issue of Primary Care by Yip et al.

Transgender patients often face difficulties finding healthcare providers who are knowledgeable in gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). For a study, researchers aimed to assess primary care providers’ (PCPs) comfort, experience, and understanding of prescribing GAHT to adults, focusing on barriers to care. They distributed an anonymous survey to PCPs in San Diego County. 

Using Fisher’s exact test, they examined associations between provider age, years of practice, practice setting, and comfort with prescribing GAHT. T-tests assessed how these factors influenced PCPs’ knowledge based on multiple-choice questions.

Of the 220 PCPs who responded, the median age was 41, with 60% having practiced for 10 years or fewer and 19% working in academic settings. A significant 42% reported receiving no transgender healthcare education during medical training, and the most commonly cited barrier to prescribing GAHT was a lack of training (74%).

The study found that PCPs aged 41 or younger (67% vs. 49%, p = 0.009), those practicing for 10 years or fewer (65% vs. 51%, p = 0.037), and those in non-academic settings (64% vs. 41%, p = 0.013) were more likely to report comfort with prescribing GAHT. Additionally, younger PCPs (89% vs. 62%, p < 0.001) and those with less experience (86% vs. 66%, p < 0.001) showed greater interest in learning about GAHT and prescribing it.

Despite this interest, most PCPs did not prescribe GAHT and low knowledge scores were reported across age and experience groups. Those working in academic settings scored higher (mean 2.0 vs. 1.4, p = 0.002) compared to non-academic settings.

Researchers concluded that while younger and early-career PCPs expressed more comfort and interest in providing GAHT, they faced significant barriers due to insufficient training. These findings highlight the need for increased educational efforts in transgender healthcare, particularly during medical training.

Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02599-8