P.E.I. to cover gender reconstructive surgeries

The province will expand coverage for gender-confirming surgeries for P.E.I. residents, Health and Wellness Minister Robert Mitchellannounced in the legislature Wednesday.

Themedically-necessary gender-confirming surgeries, also called sex reassignment, can be accessed through the medicare program.

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"I have met with members of the transgender community; I know how important this issue is to them," Mitchell said.

Surgeries covered

Theannouncement brings P.E.I. inline with what is available forgender-confirming surgeries in most other provinces.

For some,these surgeries are a matter of survival and are essential to quality of life. CybelleRieber

The surgeries covered will help Islanders transitioning from female to male includingmastectomy with chestmasculinization, as well as Islanderstransitioning from male to female.

A full list of surgeries can be found on the province's website.

Surgeries involving reconstruction will be performed out of province.

P.E.I. doctors will perform removal surgeries includinghysterectomy, mastectomy without chest masculinization, oopherectomywhich is the removal of ovaries, orchiectomywhich is testicle removal, and penectomyor penis removal.

"Anyone who's in the early days of looking at this type of surgery this is an open road for them nowwith no barriers, with lots of opportunities, so we're pretty excited about that," said Mitchell.

'Matter of survival'

"It's a huge step in the right direction," said PEERS Alliance Executive DirectorCybelleRieber. The new surgeries are animportant step for the health and well-being of transgender and non-binary Islanders and their supports.

"For some, these surgeries are a matter of survival and are essential to quality of life,"Riebersaid.

Rieberapplauded the current government for listening to the concerns of PEERS and the PEI Trans Network and people from thetranscommunity. Having the acknowledgement and understanding of the medical necessity of these surgeries is essential to create a supportive and inclusive environment, she said.

"We are confident that as this new coverage is rolled out, pathways to access will be clarified and capacity aroundtranshealthcare services, more broadly, will be expanded."

'Recognized medical condition'

"Gender dysphoria is a recognized medical condition that, left untreated, can result in high levels of anxiety and depression," said Mitchell.

Gender dysphoria is the stress people feel when their gender expression doesn't match how others see them.

Islander Russell Louder, who identifies as neither male nor female, said they are experiencing this.

"It's caused an incredible amount of stress for myself. These procedures are harm reduction, they counteract that I can't even begin to speak to the importance of it," Louder told CBCNewsin the legislature hallway after the announcement.

Louder has been trying to raise $10,000 to cover their own mastectomy with reconstructive chest masculinization in a private clinic in Ontario.

"So knowing that this could potentially be funded by the government in the near future is incredible," Loudersaid.

And while Louder is "overjoyed" with the news of the new surgeries, they are stillanxious aboutnavigatingthe health care system to access these procedures.

"Just in my past interactions with doctors simply not being aware of how to talk with a transgender patient of what is available."

Next steps

Health PEI said a patient considering gender-confirming surgery should visit their family doctor, nurse practitioner or mental health professional to be assessed for clinical eligibility. Health professionals will use the criteria established by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), an assessment required to insure the surgeries.

The assessment involves a psychiatric assessment and prolonged medical management before surgery is considered. A patient has to receive the go-ahead from a physician and approval by the province before work will begin on a surgical plan.

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