I will be sharing my research and community work in the area of trans-inclusive abortion services at the Trans Pregnancy Conference at the University of Leeds, UK.
The abstract for my presentation follows:
Abortion provision and pro-choice activisms are typically focused on the needs of cisgender women, to the exclusion of trans men and non-binary people who also need access to legal, safe, non-judgmental abortion services. This presentation will share insights from my decade of academic and community work in this area; insights gained from my Masters’ thesis which sought to identify barriers to trans-inclusive abortion services and spaces; insights gained from the authorship of a manual for providers on operationalizing trans-inclusivity in an abortion setting, which has been adapted for use throughout Canada and the United States; insights gained from the development of a National Abortion Federation online learning module for administrators, clinicians and counsellors looking to expand their knowledge and skills in this area; as well as insights gained from the delivery of numerous in-person lectures and interactive workshops on this topic.
This presentation will explore the major barriers that still exist for trans people who need abortions and identify strategies to mitigate those barriers. Free-standing abortion clinics and hospitals ought to be actively engaged in developing trans-inclusive policies and practices and working to create spaces and services that trans people can safely use, without judgment or fear. Beyond that, however, this presentation will argue that trans people’s access to abortion could be improved by expanding the list of providers authorized to perform surgical and medication abortions (i.e. to include primary-care physicians, midwives, nurses, etc.) and by altering public and clinical perceptions of self-managed abortion options. In general, this presentation will identify how framing abortion as a uniquely and quintessentially women’s issue does not account for the plethora of non-woman-identified people who need and access abortion services throughout the world.