Restore access to gender-affirming care at the University of Waikato!

Health care in Aotearoa should be an inclusive and welcoming space no matter who you are or where you are from. Everyone should experience high quality treatment in a timely manner.

Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is life-saving care and the medications are well understood. Since the departure of the sole clinician initiating GAHT under their service, Student Health have thus far refused to implement a timely alternative. Trans students are instead left with no choice besides referral to Sexual Health. There was no need to do this; GPs are perfectly capable of administering these medications, their doing so is the norm in most of the country, and until recently this was done at Student Health itself without issues.

GAHT initiation through a secondary service is not typical practice according to the findings from Counting Ourselves' 2022 Aotearoa Trans & Non-binary Health Survey. Other regions have seen a shift since the team's 2018 results, where initiation is more commonly maintained by primary care. However, Waikato continues to overuse Sexual Health Services, where the current wait for a first appointment is ten to eleven months. This exacerbates wait times and already strained resources, impacting the service's ability to adequately meet the demand of all patients. International students are also particularly impacted, as they have few other financially viable choices.

Subsidised training is recognised and available through PATHA (Professional Association of Trans Health Aotearoa). Student Health clinical leads have been made aware of this, but have not followed through.

Trans bodies and care are not a 'specialty', and do not necessitate a separate service to address GAHT initiation. Student Health has adopted what is in our opinion a 'matter of choice' belief in carrying out culturally competent practices for the community, perpetuating harm onto students as a consequence of not prioritising trans health needs in a primary care context.

Together we can ensure that our trans students get the care that they need and deserve, care that is timely and that affirms their humanity and lived experience. Please share this petition far and wide, and help us to help our rangatahi thrive.