Queering the Sexual Health Exam: Level Up Inclusivity with Queer, Trans and Gender Expansive Clients

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About This Session

A sexual health exam is part of comprehensive subjective intake for all pelvic health clients and some clients seek pelvic PT specifically for sexual health concerns. Assumptions about clients being cisgender, heterosexual and monogamous limit the sexual health exam. 1,2 We don’t provide a truly inclusive exam when we constrain our ability to help clients who do not fit within those boundaries. Folks who identify as one or a combination of queer, trans, non-binary, gender expansive and polyamorous have significant adverse experiences with healthcare providers. One element of this adverse experience is a lack of provider knowledge and awareness of concerns specific to gender and sexual minorities (GSM). 4,5,6,7,8 This presentation aims to provide background on some of the adverse experiences of folks who identify as GSM, provide practical suggestions to create a more inclusive exam and discuss principles of treatment that includes a wide array of sexual practices. This will encompass intake paperwork, subjective lines of questioning, sensitivity to objective exams for a wide range of bodies and ways to use sensory play in treatment of sexual concerns.

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify personal biases surrounding systemic cis-heteronormativy and monogamy
  2. Confidently implement at least 2 items in intake or subjective questioning to invite clients to be open about their sexuality
  3. Describe at least 2 ways to be sensitive to trans and nonbinary bodies in an objective sexual health exam
  4. Learn how sensory play can play a role in inclusive care

Level

Intermediate

Speaker

Laura Ross is a Pelvic Health Physical Therapist and Sex Counselor based in Decatur, GA (Atlanta). She is passionate about helping everyone with a pelvis. Her special interests are inclusive care for all genders, pelvic pain, sexual health and the intersection of pelvic health and athletic performance. Laura earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Northwestern University and the Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner Certificate (PRPC) through the Herman and Wallace Institute. She has additional training in PT for concerns specific to trans and gender expansive folks including gender affirming surgeries and has earned the Certificate in Sexuality Counseling for Pelvic Health Therapists from Pelvic Global. She has been a local and regional presenter on the topic of Pelvic PT for trans and gender expansive clients. Laura is a member of the APTA, WPATH, and AASECT.

Tags

Queer, LGBTQIA2S+, Trans, Nonbinary, Sexual Health, Sexuality, Inclusivity