Increasing demand for gender-affirming surgeries in Canada
Experts say the wait lists for gender-affirming surgeries in Canada is growing, with some procedures requiring patients wait more than five years.
The Women’s College Hospital in Toronto became the first public institution in Canada to offer specialized surgeries in 2019 through its Transition Related Surgical Program. Before that, patients would have to go to a private clinic in Montreal, the United States, or overseas.
“Even now, about a third of transition-related surgeries are occurring outside of the province,” VP of Strategy and Quality at Women’s College Jack Woodman said.
The wait for top surgery - breast augmentation or chest masculinization - can be anywhere from 12 months to two years, experts say. The wait for vaginoplasties can be up to 65 months.
“I always like to emphasize that not all trans people want or require surgery. It’s really important to acknowledge that. But for those that do, it can be life-saving,” Woodman said.
This was the case for 27-year-old Toronto resident Amelia Smith, who has finished recuperating from a gender-affirming surgery performed in May 2021.
“I’d like to see a rise in provincial funding go along with that” she said. “Because that’s really what’s limiting things right now.”
Woodman says a lack of data for the trans and non-binary community is part of the problem in getting funding for transition related surgery.
And beyond that, they’d like to see not just surgery, but a full range of health services for the community.
“What folks need to remember is that one of the biggest issues in health-care for trans and non-binary people is the stigma and discrimination,” he said. “It’s that - walking into your doctors office, you feel welcome and comfortable to share what your situation is, what your health-care issues are. These are things that we really have to work on.”
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health provides a list of resources for individuals experiencing a crisis.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
Eviction for landlord's use was legitimate, despite owners' partial move, B.C. court rules
A B.C. judge has upheld the eviction of a family from their North Vancouver townhouse, finding that the landlords did not take an unreasonable amount of time to move into the home after the tenants vacated it.
What's causing the catastrophic rainfall in Kenya?
The torrential rains and deadly floods that have hit Kenya since March have been some of the worst in the country in recent years. Here's how factors combined to create the deadly deluge.
BREAKING Hosting Vancouver's FIFA World Cup games could cost half a billion dollars
Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.