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Understanding Intersections: Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Patient Populations (post-graduate course for Maternal and Fetal Medicine physicians)

Trystan Reese, Dr. Justin Brandt, and Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver presenting at Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine's 42nd Annual Pregnancy Meeting

Understanding Intersections: Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Patient Populations (Hybrid)

Feb. 2, 2022 8am - 12pm

Course Directors:
Justin Brandt, MD
Trystan Reece,

This is a hybrid course, which allows for virtual and in-person registration.

Course Description:
According to recent data, more and more transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming community members are choosing to engage in fertility processes. And while the community's needs are advancing at a rapid pace, unfortunately, advancements in the cultural competence of medical providers in the field have simply not kept up. Transgender people find that individual providers, teams at medical centers, and systems of support are not built for their unique needs, which has resulted in more and more transgender pregnancies occurring at home and in free-standing birth centers. Indeed, roughly 22% of all transgender births happen in an out-of-hospital setting, which can result in poorer (or even fatal) delivery outcomes. Why would transgender people choose an out-of-hospital birth? The answer is fairly straightforward-- traumatic medical experiences have resulted in deep fear and avoidance of formal medical environments. At this year's ACOG scientific meeting, researchers shared that neonatal death rates are four times higher in free-standing birth centers. For transgender people who are pregnant, avoidance of formal medical systems can quite literally mean the difference between life and death. The solution to this problem is a trauma-informed, culturally humble approach to understanding, supporting, and welcoming the transgender community into the world of pregnancy and fetal medicine. By understanding the research on transgender fertility, pregnancy, and birth, providers can offer evidence-based support to transgender patients. By building powerful empathy skills, providers can connect with transgender patients in a meaningful way, creating lasting, trusting relationships that can result in better birth and postpartum outcomes. And by mastering practical inclusion tools, providers can build systems that keep transgender patients engaged throughout their fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum experiences-- leading to better outcomes for parents AND babies.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the latest research on transgender fertility, pregnancy, and birth.

  • Build powerful empathy skills in order to better connect with transgender patients.

  • Master practical inclusion tools (such as use of gender-neutral pronouns, gender-affirming language, and EMR auditing for gender inclusion).

  • Deeper reflection on the five principles of trauma-informed care, with specific emphasis on the intersections of trauma and the transgender community.


Course Schedule (All times Eastern Standard Time):
8:00 AM8:45 AM Introduction and overview of presenters and agenda/goals Reese

8:45 AM9:30 AM Improving care for TGE people by expanding research domains Brandt

9:30 AM10:00 AM Improving care for TGE people by expanding the clinical domains Brandt

10:00 AM10:30 AM Break

10:30 AM11:15 AM Build a culture of inclusion (wherever you are) Reese

11:15 AM12:00 PM Closing Remarks & Q&A Brandt and Reese

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Global Learning Collaborative (GLC) and SMFM. GLC is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Global Learning Collaborative designates this enduring material for a maximum of 7 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.