Do no harm: trans bodily autonomy in healthcare!

We all deserve to feel safe and protected by our medical systems, and we all deserve our bodily autonomy. Too many trans people in Europe live in fear of medical systems that threaten their human rights.

We're calling on health ministers across Europe to develop legislation to protect the health and safety of trans people, including:

• Removal of all medical requirements for legal gender recognition and access to health care (such as gender-affirming surgery), including forced sterilisation and mental health diagnoses.
• Implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, which includes the removal of trans identities from categories of mental health disorders.
  
• Develop medical protocols for trans-specific healthcare that is human-rights compliant.
  
• In consultation with local trans organisations, funding to develop and implement trans-specific education initiatives in medical schools and for existing health care professionals to guarantee a universal standard of human rights-based trans-specific care for all regardless of health, migration or identity status to ensure trans people's bodily autonomy is respected.

For guidance on the establishment of these actions please see the TGEU Guide.*

* TRANSGENDER EUROPE, GUIDELINES TO HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED TRANS-SPECIFIC HEALTHCARE, 2019