The Political Nature of Sex - Transgender in the History of Medicine

Environmental contaminants, endocrine disruption, and transgender: Can "born that way" in some cases be toxicologically real?

Gender is viewed by many as strictly binary based on a collection of body traits typical of a female or male phenotype, presence of a genotype that includes at least one copy of a Y chromosome, or ability to produce either egg or sperm cells. A growing non-binary view is that these descriptors, while compelling, may nonetheless fail to accurately capture an individual's true gender. The position of the American Psychological Association (APA) agrees with this view and is that transgender people are a defendable and real part of the human population. The considerable diversity of transgender expression then argues against any unitary or simple explanations, however, prenatal hormone levels, genetic influences, and early and later life experiences have been suggested as playing roles in development of transgender identities. The present review considers existing and emerging toxicologic data that may also support an environmental chemical contribution to some transgender identities, and suggest the possibility of a growing nonbinary brain gender continuum in the human population.

Healthcare Professionals' Conflicts When Treating Transgender Youth: Is It Necessary to Prioritize Protection Over Respect?

Increasingly, transgender minors are seeking medical care such as puberty-suppressing or gender-affirming hormone therapies. Yet, whether these interventions should be performed at all is highly controversial. Some healthcare practitioners oppose irreversible interventions, considering it their duty to protect children from harm. Others view minors, like adults, as transgender individuals who must be protected from discrimination. The underlying ethical question is presented as a problem of priority. Is it primarily relevant that minors are involved? Or should decision makers focus on the fact that they treat transgender individuals? The paper explores the relevance for medical practice. We provide results of an interview study with German healthcare professionals. We discuss the general question whether prioritization among different group memberships of the same person is ethically defensible. We conclude that priority conflicts between group memberships of the same person can be deceptive and should be addressed by an intersectional approach. Eventually, we discuss practical implications.

A Role for History in Inclusive Nursing Education

BACKGROUND

History is a critical methodology that provides perspective on complex issues in health care today.

METHOD

This article draws on a selection of interdisciplinary scholarship on the history of nursing and health care, including work by scholars of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) scholars; and disability studies scholars, to demonstrate the role of history in inclusive nursing education.

RESULTS

History provides critical perspective regarding how race, gender, class, sexuality, and disability have shaped the development of nursing and the health care system, affected who has been able to access education and careers in nursing, and influenced Americans' access to and experiences of health care.

CONCLUSION

History prepares nursing students to better understand the reasons for and implications of persistent health disparities and inequities in access to nursing education and health care services, providing them with knowledge to advocate for greater health equity and social justice during their nursing careers. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(8):469-475.].

Health Communication and Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression

The purpose of this article is to provide guidance on completing a thorough, competent, and culturally appropriate health history with details specific to the care of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) persons and communities.