Trans and Non-Binary Youth Healthcare in The Digital Age of Medicine

Gender-affirming care has been established as essential healthcare for transgender and non-binary (TNB) youth but many patients face prohibitive barriers when accessing this kind of care. These roadblocks span a wide array of arenas, from digital privacy protections to simply accessing gender affirming care. Many TNB youth lack familial and community support to seek care, geographical access to specialized providers, insurance coverage sufficient to make this care affordable, and legal protections for existing as a TNB person in society. During the COVID-19 pandemic, digital technologies and health legislation expanded patients' access to out-of-state or remote care. Telemedicine in particular has the potential to reduce barriers to accessing gender-affirming care. However, without guidance and oversight in the form of concrete federal or state policies, these benefits may not be extended to those most in need of support. How telehealth providers manage the data collected using these technologies is also of great concern; this health information could be used to prevent and criminalize youth and families seeking care. We thus propose a suite of policy actions to protect and expand access to gender-affirming care for TNB youth: ensuring legal protections for data relating to gender identity and gender-affirming healthcare, establishing nationwide access to gender-affirming care via insurance waivers and support for remote care, and expanding the pool of providers trained in TNB healthcare.