Dear USPATH colleagues,

I hope you had a rejuvenating and supportive celebration of Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31st.

I recently returned from the PRIDENet Summit which centers opportunities for knowledge sharing about the work of PRIDENet including All of Us and The PRIDE Study. It was heartening to see communities advise and lead research to understand and address their health needs. Consider learning more about these programs and how they inform research and clinical care for transgender people.

Similarly, I want to take this time to remind you to submit your abstracts to the WPATH 28^th Scientific Symposium in Lisbon, Portugal; Abstract Deadline has been extended to April 30. Many of our USPATH board members will be there and we are looking forward to learning about all the work each of you are doing.

During our April USPATH board we covered several items that I would like to highlight:

1. The USPATH webpage is being updated and will include a donations link to support various initiatives including our scholarship for students and trainees to attend USPATH events.
2. Our Board is finalizing their review of applicants for the Chair of the newly formed Student and Trainee Special Interest Group (SIG). We plan to announce the first Chair of the Student and Trainee SIG soon.
3. Our Research Committee is working with our Policies and Procedures team to finalize their charter. More details will be available in the coming weeks.
4. Our Board has partnered with Whitman-Walker Institute to survey our membership on several issues. A survey of our surgical members has already been distributed. You will receive separate email invitations to complete future surveys.
5. USPATH joined Whitman-Walker Institute and GLMA in submitting comments on Proposed Changes to the Texas Medicaid Limitations and Exclusions.

As a reminder, while we do our best to monitor and respond to every issue related to transgender health, we are not omniscient. As such, we appreciate any USPATH member sending us local or national issues that warrant USPATH consideration.

Similarly, if you have the opportunity to respond to misinformation/disinformation, take it and be equipped with the facts. As a reminder, our colleagues at the Protecting Affirming Care for Trans Youth (PACT) Coalition can assist with writing op-eds and letters to the editor, as well as preparing for speaking with journalists. Please feel free to reach out to Sara Mar at smar@PROTECTED with requests for information or other assistance.

Lastly, we are approaching two important events. May 6 to 12 is Nurses Week; please take a moment to thank your nursing colleagues who do so much for our patients and communities. May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia; take this opportunity to raise awareness of the issues facing transgender people, in healthcare and in every facet of life.

In Solidarity,

Carl G Streed, Jr., MD, MPH, FACP, FAHA

President, US Professional Association for Transgender Health

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What we’re reading lately (in no particular order):

Cass Met With DeSantis Pick Over Trans Ban: Her Review Now Targets England Trans Care. By Erin Reed. https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/cass-met-with-desantis-pick-over

The history of sex research: Is “sex” a useful category? By Beans Velocci. https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00122-3

Transgender veterans file 2nd lawsuit against VA for gender-affirming surgery coverage. By Jo Yurcaba. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/transgender-veterans-file-2nd-lawsuit-va-gender-affirming-surgery-cove-rcna147626

Review of Breast Imaging in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Patients: Gender-Affirming Care, Histopathologic Findings, Breast Cancer Risk, and Screening Recommendations. By Ajmain Chowdhury et al. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38613363/

In the Shadow of Diagnosis: Psychiatric Power and Queer Life. By Regina Kunzel. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo212129044.html

The Cass Review: Cis-supremacy in the UK’s approach to healthcare for trans children. By Cal Horton. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26895269.2024.2328249

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Conferences we’re looking forward to (in order by date):

9th National LGBTQ Health Conference, Atlanta, GA, August 15 – 17, 2024. https://lgbtqhealthconf2024.dryfta.com/

Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference, Philadelphia, PA, September 5 – 7, 2024. https://mailchi.mp/c43edfc51bde/ptwc-2022-sign-up

WPATH 28^th Scientific Symposium, Lisbon, Portugal, September 25 – 30, 2024. (Abstract Deadline is April 30) https://www.wpath.org/WPATH-28th-Scientific-Symposium

GLMA's 42^nd Annual Conference on LGBTQ+ Health, Charlotte, NC, September 30 – October 2, 2024. https://www.glma.org/conference.php

TransPride YOUniting Health & Wellness Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, November 7 – 9, 2024, https://www.transpridepgh.org/