Sexual Health Services for Trans People

That the Parliament welcomes the new research report, There needs to be care throughout: Exploring the access of non-binary people, trans men and trans women to sexual health services in Scotland, by Waverley Care, in partnership with Scottish Trans Alliance; notes that the research was carried out due to a lack of evidence regarding trans people’s experiences with sexual health services in Scotland; acknowledges that while globally trans women are at a higher risk of contracting HIV, only 43% of respondents agreed that the NHS PrEP criteria is trans inclusive; understands that the key findings of this report highlight that although many trans people have had positive experiences with sexual health services, there are still a number of barriers to engagement with services, which include fear and anxiety, limited gender tailored information regarding risk, misgendering from service providers and a lack of professional knowledge of trans people’s sexual health needs; welcomes the importance of this research in order to have sexual health services that are more inclusive and accessible for trans people in Scotland; considers that this should be a priority area in the approach to sexual health services in the future, and commits to continue personal education into how trans people can be supported in a more knowledgeable, inclusive and welcoming way.