Entering Enemy Territory? Transgender Men and the Problem of Gynecological Care

• In Event: 336 - Section on Body and Embodiment Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Bodies and Gender

Abstract

This paper explores the problem of gynecological care for transgender men. Regular gynecological care (including Pap smears and pelvic exams) have a proven record of limiting the severity and mortality of gynecological cancers. This success has largely been built on the framing of this type of care as "women's health," thus unwittingly ostracizing trans men. Despite the fear and actual experience of discrimination, many trans men do seek out gynecological care. Why do these men submit to gynecological care and how do they make sense of their experiences? Interviews with 13 transgender men shed light on the internal justifications and interpersonal negotiations trans men utilize in order to obtain what for cisgender women is often routine medical care. These negotiations hinge on trans masculine embodiment and the ways in which individuals grapple with the idea that trans men are trapped in the wrong body.

Author

• Piper Coutinho-Sledge, University of Chicago