Trans & nonbinary people get abortions, too

There is an unfortunate misconception tied to abortion treatment: that those seeking abortion care are exclusively cisgender women (women whose gender identity aligns with the sex that a doctor assigned them at birth). Of course, this is not the case. 

“Abortion is an issue for all people capable of pregnancy, for their partners, their families, and their communities. Transgender men, nonbinary and gender queer people assigned female at birth do seek abortion services. Excluding them perpetuates the idea that abortion is a "cis" women's health issue. This moves further from the very important conversation about how abortion effects cisgender men, families, geographic communities, as well as the LGBTQ+ community,” said Natalie Hinchcliffe, Associate Medical Director at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic.

Abortions are normal, and transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer people get them too! "Statistics of transgender, intersex and nonbinary people having abortions continue to validate how vital this service is for all who seek it. It is estimated that 462 to 530 transgender/nonbinary individuals obtained abortions in 2017 and that 23% of clinics provide transgender-specific care."

People of all genders have abortions

Trans men, nonbinary, and genderqueer patients continue pregnancies, use birth control, and decide to have children (or not) just like anyone else would. Unlike cisgender individuals, members of the transgender and nonbinary community face additional barriers to accessing safe and reliable health care, especially reproductive healthcare. 

Trans men, nonbinary, and genderqueer patients face a variety of potential obstacles  when seeking reproductive health care. Some of these risks include:

• Being refused medical care 
• Being misgendered by a provider or staff member 
• Receiving inaccurate diagnoses and care, based on assumptions made by a provider.
• Facing uncomfortable questions or potential judgement by staff
• Receiving medical treatment while in an uncomfortable, trauma-inducing setting 
  

While the fight for reproductive rights has gained momentum over the last decade, our fight still has a long way to go. The notable lack of gender-neutral language and thoughtful commentary throughout the reproductive healthcare space is unacceptable and has left out members of genderqueer communities for too long. This must change—and fast. 

Tips for gender inclusivity as it relates to pregnancy

We urge readers to include gender-neutral language in their day to day lives. Here are some small tweaks you can make during your daily interactions that will have an enormous impact on your commitment to inclusion. 

• Instead of saying 'pregnant women', try saying: 'pregnant people'
• Instead of saying 'women's healthcare', try saying: 'reproductive health care'
• Instead of the assumed use of pronouns, try: 'they/them/theirs' until the correct pronouns are established
  

Using inclusive language demonstrates your personal recognition of the world’s expanded definition of ‘gender’, and more importantly can have a lasting impact on the mental and emotional well-being of gender non-conforming individuals. 

How Hey Jane is working toward a better future

At Hey Jane, we understand the urgency and importance of providing reproductive and sexual health care for all, whether that's abortion care, birth control, emergency contraception, or treatment for yeast infections, UTIs, BV, or herpes. In our effort to create an inclusive clinic experience, we have incorporated gender-neutral language across our site and medical literature , partnered with caring providers who are experienced in treating genderqueer patients, and  Hey Jane offers entirely virtual abortion care to ensure maximum comfort for all our patients. We also ask all of our patients their preferred name, pronouns, and gender identity (and share our team's gender pronouns as well) to ensure that everyone receives the supportive care they deserve.

At Hey Jane, we honor your body, your identity, and—above all—your choice.