Manitoba changing referral requirements for gender-affirming care amid ‘distressing’ wait times: minister

Posted on July 17, 2024 by Peggy

The Manitoba government is making changes to some requirements for people to access gender-affirming care in order to cut down wait times, the province’s health minister says.

Manitobans will no longer need two medical referrals in order to access gender-affirming health-care specialists, Uzoma Asagwara said at a Wednesday news conference.

The province will also boost the number of primary care providers who are able to refer Manitobans to get gender-affirming care, such as nurse practitioners, the health minister said.

“For Manitobans who have been waiting for gender-affirming care, we know as a government that that wait can be painful and distressing,” they said.

“With today’s announcement, we are sending a strong message to queer and trans Manitobans that your Manitoba government has your back.”

Ayn Wilcox, executive director of Klinic Community Health, says the announcement has been a long time coming.

The clinic offers a range of services for gender-affirming care, from counselling and mental health care to hormone replacement therapy and surgeries.

“We have struggled to meet increasing demand,” Wilcox said at the news conference.

Current waits to see an approved primary care provider in Klinic’s program can be more than a year, and depending on the care people seek, some may face an extra wait of up to two years in order to see an approved mental health provider, she said.

“Once implemented, this will eliminate the requirement for clients to see an approved mental health provider, in addition to a physician before accessing the specialized gender-affirming care,” said Wilcox.