Researching the attitudes of transgender men and non-binary people to cervical screening, Dr Alison Berner and colleagues from across the UK have published their latest and important findings in the British Journal of General Practice.
Cervical cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide
In announcing their research Dr Alison May Berner explained that trans men and non-binary people who are assigned female at birth can experience barriers to accessing cervical screening, and as such they can often be less likely to engage in screening than cisgender women.
One important highlight shows that out of 137 participants many trans men and non-binary people don’t have hysterectomies, with 45% either not waiting the procedure or not sure that they want to. However, despite this, the current NHS system of recording sex/gender can miss trans men & non-binary people from the screening register and as such they are at risk of not receiving automatic appointment invitations. These individuals are best advised to ensure they access screening.
“Only 48 out of 137 (35%) participants felt they had sufficient information about cervical screening and what it might mean for them”
More information about screening for trans people can be found here.
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