In this episode we are joined by Dr Alison Berner, Clinical Research Fellow in Medical Oncology & Specialty Doctor in Gender Identity Medicine at Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Paper: Attitudes of trans men and non-binary people to UK cervical screening

https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2020.0905

The UK’s National Health Service cervical screening program has contributed to a 70% reduction in the cervical cancer mortality since 1988. Trans men and non-binary people assigned female at birth (TMNB) experience barriers to accessing adequate cervical screening and are less likely to engage in screening than cisgender women but the attitudes, experiences and behaviours of TMNB as they relate to cervical screening remain unexplored in a UK context. This study indicates that TMNB lack sufficient information about cervical screening and experience barriers to accessing screening services at personal, interpersonal and institutional levels. Cervical screening uptake could be increased by adopting TMNB-appropriate screening invitations, providing options for self-sampling, improving cultural sensitivity in health literature, and improving access to trans-specific or trans-aware health services.