The 2SLGBTQI community faces a unique set of health issues that can differ significantly from those of the heterosexual population. These can range from mental health concerns like anxiety and depression to physical conditions such as higher rates of certain types of cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2SLGBTQI individuals may also be at higher risk for substance abuse and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

In addition to these general health concerns, our clinic offers specialized services like acupuncture and naturopathic medicine that can help manage stress and improve overall well-being, which is crucial for this community.

For more information specific to 2SLGBTQI health issues, you can visit GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality.

Taking care of an 2SLGBTQI patient involves more than just addressing their physical health; it also includes providing a safe, inclusive, and non-judgmental environment. According to the Human Rights Campaign, healthcare providers should be trained in 2SLGBTQI inclusive care, which includes understanding unique health risks and using inclusive language.

At Red Leaf Wellness, we offer a range of services from clinical hypnotherapy to nutrition that are tailored to meet the individual needs of each patient, including those from the 2SLGBTQI community.

Affirming care for 2SLGBTQI individuals refers to healthcare services that are respectful, aware, and supportive of the unique needs and identities of 2SLGBTQI patients. According to the Fenway Institute, affirming care should include the use of correct pronouns, confidentiality, and specialized training for healthcare providers.

Our clinic offers holistic treatments like Reiki and massage therapy that align with the principles of affirming care.

Yes, Canada does offer gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgeries. According to Rainbow Health Ontario, a variety of services are available across the country to support transgender and non-binary individuals. While we don’t offer hormone therapy, our services like acupuncture can complement gender-affirming treatments by helping manage stress and improve overall well-being.

At Red Leaf Wellness, inclusivity and diversity are not just buzzwords; they are at the core of our practice. Our team comprises a diverse demographic, representing various cultural backgrounds, ages, and genders. This diversity allows us to offer a more open and inviting atmosphere, as outlined in our Diversity & Inclusion statement.

We also recognize the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, and offer specialized services to meet their individualized needs. For example, we offer fertility acupuncture and hormone testing panels as part of our comprehensive approach to healthcare.

Our clinic is located in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Amiskwacîwâskahikan), Treaty 6 Territory, and we honor and respect the Indigenous communities who call this land home. We strive to create a safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of sexual orientation, family status, religion, or any other factor.

By weaving the unique skills and experiences of our professionals into the fabric of our care plans, we aim to offer a truly inclusive healthcare experience.

2SLGBTQI Healthcare Essentials: A 14-Day Primer for Health Providers

Navigating the intricacies of healthcare demands a nuanced understanding of the 2SLGBTQI community’s specific needs. Our 14-day course, ‘Red Leaf Wellness 2SLGBTQI Healthcare Essentials,’ serves as an introductory roadmap for healthcare providers to grasp fundamental concepts and best practices. This self-paced course is a compilation of hand-picked guides, scholarly articles, and multimedia resources aimed at fostering awareness and sparking meaningful dialogues about 2SLGBTQI healthcare. Covering a broad spectrum of topics—from understanding gender identity to addressing healthcare disparities and mental health issues—the course also delves into the legal landscape affecting 2SLGBTQI healthcare. Designed for professionals with time constraints, this course provides a concise yet thorough primer, laying the groundwork for more advanced study and proficiency in 2SLGBTQI healthcare.

Day 1: Introduction to 2SLGBTQI Healthcare

• Detailed Focus: This day aims to set the stage for the course by emphasizing the importance of 2SLGBTQI inclusive healthcare. It encourages healthcare providers to reflect on their current understanding and expectations, setting the tone for a comprehensive learning experience.
• Resource: Healthcare Equality Index
• Learning Activity: Reflection
  • Reflect on your current understanding of 2SLGBTQI healthcare and establish your internal expectations for what you will achieve in the coming days.
  • Become familiar with common terms and definitions.
• Glossary:
  • LGBTQ+: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and others
  • Inclusive Healthcare: Medical practice that is welcoming and accommodating to all
  • Ally: A person who supports and stands up for the rights of 2SLGBTQI people

Day 2: Understanding Gender Identity

• Detailed Focus: This day focuses on understanding the complexities of gender identity, and the learning activity is designed to help healthcare providers become more adept at using correct pronouns. This is a crucial aspect of respecting a patient’s gender identity and providing inclusive healthcare.
• Resource: Improving the Health Care of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People
• Learning Activity: Pronoun Practice
  • Review the following pronoun usage guide.
• Glossary:
  • Gender Identity: One’s internal sense of their own gender
  • Gender Expression: The external display of one’s gender
  • Cisgender: Identifying with the gender one was assigned at birth
  • Pronouns: Words used to refer to someone in place of their name (e.g., he/him, she/her, they/them)

Day 3: Understanding Healthcare Disparities

• Detailed Focus: Day 3 aims to shed light on the healthcare disparities faced by the 2SLGBTQI community. The learning activity encourages healthcare providers to engage with real-world case studies to identify and discuss potential solutions for these disparities.
• Resource: Improving the Health Care of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People
• Learning Activity: Case Study Analysis
  • Read one of these case studies on healthcare disparities and discuss potential solutions with a colleague or jot down your thoughts.
• Glossary:
  • Disparities: Differences, especially unfair differences
  • Stigma: Negative stereotypes that marginalize a group
  • Discrimination: Unjust treatment based on identity

Day 4: Mental Health Concerns

• Detailed Focus: This day focuses on the unique mental health challenges faced by the 2SLGBTQI community. The learning activity involves creating a referral resource list, emphasizing the need for specialized mental health services that are 2SLGBTQI friendly.
• Resource: 2SLGBTQI Youth and Mental Health
• Learning Activity: Develop Referral Resources
  • Research and compile a list of 2SLGBTQI friendly mental health resources, such as therapists and support groups, for which you would want to recommend or refer your patients to.
• Glossary:
  • Mental Health: Emotional, psychological, and social well-being
  • Anxiety: Excessive worry or fear
  • Depression: Persistent sadness and loss of interest

Day 5: Hormone Therapy

• • Detailed Focus: Day 5 delves into hormone therapy as a form of gender-affirming treatment. The learning activity encourages healthcare providers to summarize key points, fostering a deeper understanding of the medical and ethical considerations involved.
  • Resource: Guidelines for the Primary and Gender-Affirming Care of Transgender and Gender Nonbinary People
  • Learning Activity: Summary Writing
    • Summarize key points about hormone therapy in your own words.
  • Glossary:
    • Hormone Therapy: Treatment involving hormones to align physical characteristics with gender identity
    • Testosterone: Male sex hormone
    • Estrogen: Female sex hormone

Day 6: Overview of Gender-Affirming Treatments and Procedures

• Detailed Focus: This day provides a comprehensive overview of gender-affirming treatments and procedures, from hormone therapy to surgical interventions. The learning activity encourages reflection on the significance of these treatments in enhancing the well-being of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals.
• Resource:Overview of feminizing hormone therapy and Overview of masculinizing hormone therapy
• Learning Activity: Reflection
  • Reflect on the importance of gender-affirming treatments and how they can impact a patient’s well-being.
• Glossary:
  • Gender-Affirming Treatment: Medical treatments that help individuals align their physical characteristics with their gender identity
  • Hormone Therapy: The use of hormones to align physical characteristics with gender identity
  • Surgical Interventions: Surgical procedures aimed at aligning physical characteristics with gender identity

Day 7: Sexual Health

• Detailed Focus: Day 7 focuses on sexual health, emphasizing the need for 2SLGBTQI inclusive services. The learning activity involves creating a list of 2SLGBTQI friendly sexual health resources, highlighting the importance of specialized care.
• Resource: Edmonton Queer & Trans Health Collective (QTHC)
• Learning Activity: Develop Referral Resources
  • Create a list of sexual health clinics and resources that offer 2SLGBTQI inclusive services.
• Glossary:
  • Sexual Health: A state of physical, emotional, and social well-being in relation to sexuality
  • STI: Sexually Transmitted Infection
  • Safe Sex: Sexual activities that reduce the risk of STIs

Day 8: Substance Abuse

• Detailed Focus: This day aims to explore the higher rates of substance abuse in the 2SLGBTQI community, focusing on societal factors that may contribute to this. The learning activity encourages reflection on these factors, promoting a nuanced understanding of the issue.
• Resource: Substance Use Disorders in LGBTQ+ Populations
• Learning Activity: Reflection
  • Reflect on societal factors that may contribute to higher rates of substance abuse in the 2SLGBTQI community.
• Glossary:
  • Substance Abuse: The harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs
  • Addiction: A psychological and physical inability to stop consuming a chemical, drug, or substance
  • Recovery: The process of overcoming addiction

Day 9: Legal Rights and Patient Advocacy

• Detailed Focus: Day 9 focuses on understanding the legal landscape affecting 2SLGBTQI healthcare. The learning activity involves researching current laws and policies, emphasizing the importance of advocacy in healthcare settings.
• Resource:
  • Gender Identity and Canada’s Human Rights System
  • Alberta Human Rights Act
  • Canadian Human Rights Act
  • Canada Health Act
• Learning Activity: Review Current Laws
  • Research current laws and policies affecting 2SLGBTQI healthcare and summarize your findings.
• Glossary:
  • Legal Rights: Rights granted by law
  • Patient Advocacy: Support and representation for patients in healthcare settings
  • Discrimination: Unjust treatment based on identity

Day 10: Youth 2SLGBTQI Healthcare

• Detailed Focus: This day aims to explore the unique healthcare needs and challenges faced by 2SLGBTQI youth. The learning activity involves creating a list of 2SLGBTQI youth-friendly healthcare services, emphasizing the importance of specialized care for this demographic.
• Resource: Adults Supporting 2SLGBTQI Youth
• Learning Activity: Develop Referral Resources
  • Review the list of Alberta Health resources that are friendly and specialized for 2SLGBTQI youth.
  • Review the list of Youth Resources provided by The Pride Center of Edmonton
• Glossary:
  • Youth: Individuals who are in the phase of life between childhood and adulthood
  • Pediatric Care: Medical care specialized for children and adolescents
  • Consent: Permission for something to happen or agreement to do something

Day 11: Intersectionality in 2SLGBTQI Healthcare

• Detailed Focus: Day 11 aims to explore the concept of intersectionality in healthcare, focusing on how different aspects of identity can impact healthcare experiences.
• Resource: Intersectionality and Healthcare
• Learning Activity: Reflection
  • Reflect on how different aspects of identity can intersect and impact healthcare experiences.
• Glossary:
  • Intersectionality: The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender
  • Social Determinants: Conditions in the environments where people live, learn, work, and play that affect health outcomes
  • Marginalization: The process of pushing a particular group to the edge of society

Day 12: Aging and Elder Care

• Detailed Focus: This day focuses on the unique challenges faced by 2SLGBTQI individuals in aging and elder care. The learning activity involves creating a list of 2SLGBTQI friendly elder care services.
• Resource: Pride Center of Edmonton – Seniors
• Learning Activity: Develop Referral Resources
  • Review the list of 2SLGBTQI friendly elder care services.
• Glossary:
  • Aging: The process of growing older
  • Elder Care: The care and services provided to older adults
  • Gerontology: The study of the aging process

Day 13: Creating Inclusive Environments

• Detailed Focus: Day 13 is dedicated to the creation of 2SLGBTQI inclusive environments within healthcare settings. The learning activity involves an audit of your current workplace to identify areas for improvement, emphasizing the importance of a welcoming and safe space for all patients.
• Resource: Creating 2SLGBTQI Inclusive Environments in Health Care
• Learning Activity: Workplace Audit
  • Complete the checklist for Creating Safer Spaces
• Glossary:
  • Inclusive Environment: A setting where all individuals, regardless of identity, feel valued and respected
  • Audit: An official inspection of an organization’s accounts or performance
  • Signage: Signs collectively, especially public signs using words or symbols
  • Sensitivity Training: Training to make people more aware of their own prejudices and more sensitive to others

Day 14: Course Recap and Future Learning

• Detailed Focus: The final day serves as a recap of the course and encourages healthcare providers to identify areas for future learning and improvement.
• Resource: Suggested review of all previous resources and glossaries.
• Learning Activity: Self-Assessment
  • Take a self-assessment to identify areas where you feel confident and areas that may require further study.
• Glossary:
  • Recap: A summary or review
  • Self-Assessment: An evaluation of oneself or one’s actions and attitudes
  • Continuing Education: Ongoing learning to maintain and enhance professional skills