Monash Health’s Gender Clinic is set to participate in a ground-breaking project that has received $5 million from the Models of Care for Sexuality & Gender Diverse People & People with Innate Variations of Sex Characteristics Grant Opportunity from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
About the project
Led by Associate Professor Ken Pang from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and his team, the project will bring together over 60 researchers, clinicians and community members to create a national data registry, improve the delivery of hormonal treatments (puberty blockers, estrogen and testosterone), explore non-medical interventions such as psychological support, peer support, group work, and community led interventions, and compare different gender-affirming health care models for trans young people.
Associate Professor Pang said a theme at the core of the study was intersectional disadvantage, “A variety of voices will be included in this research, including young trans people who are neurodivergent, from rural and regional backgrounds, who identify as First Nations or face other types of marginalisation. This is a comprehensive trans youth health project that will involve major paediatric healthcare providers, trans health research leaders, trans young people, their parents and trans community groups across Australia.”
Dr Riki Lane and Dr David Colon Cabrera, at work in the Gender Clinic
Gathering critical data
The study will provide pivotal evidence to inform best practice healthcare guidelines, policies and practices in clinical, community and government sectors.
“By understanding the best way to deliver gender-affirming interventions and by establishing the pros and cons of different gender-affirming health care models, we will develop a stronger evidence base and ultimately improve the mental and physical health of trans young people around the world,” said A/Prof Pang.
Gender Clinic involvement
Monash Health contributed a letter of support for the project in 2023, stating, “Monash Health strongly believes in the potential of ‘Improving health outcomes via the Australian Research Consortium for Trans Youth and Children (ARCTYC)’ to have a transformative impact on trans and gender diverse health care and will contribute to management, technical support and liaison activities.” With the grant approved, the team are eager to get started.
Dr Riki Lane and Dr David Colon Cabrera, two research and project workers at the Gender Clinic, have been part of the project since the application phase as Chief Investigators. The MRFF project, “Improving health outcomes via the Australian Research Consortium for Trans Youth and Children (ARCTYC),” has four themes. Dr Lane helped develop the application text for theme 4: “Comparing different models of service provision”, organised the letter of support from Monash Health, and is assisting with key administration.
“I am really looking forward to getting this project moving through helping get research ethics approval, recruiting participants, analysing data and writing up results,” said Dr Lane.
Dr David Colon Cabrera
Informing Our Model of Care
Dr Lane hopes this project can gather data and provide publications that can help improve the quality of gender-affirming care to trans and gender-diverse people,
“At the Monash Health Gender Clinic (MHGC), other gender clinics, and in primary care, such care has been the subject of ill-informed criticism and much media controversy. For MHGC in particular, building a more rigorous evidence base for the impact of varied models of care can help guide ongoing refinements of our model of care.”
For Dr David Colon Cabrera, this project is essential because it will be a national effort in coordinating data from all gender services. Additionally, it will provide even more evidence of their vital work at the clinic.
The Gender Clinic already operates according to internationally agreed standards of care. It provides a much-needed service to trans, gender-diverse, and non-binary Victorians. Still, with the numerous structural obstacles this population faces, Dr Colon Cabrera says, “The research will provide more evidence and direction on how best to deliver gender-affirming care, which we know improves the quality of life and saves lives. This research will also allow us to inform our services as we strive always to improve and follow the best evidence available.”