Center for Transgender Equality, 2014a). According to a study
conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine, “The
average medical student spends just five hours in medical
school learning about the health-care needs of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgendered community” (White, 2011). The
lack of training makes transgender healthcare difficult for
both the patients and professionals. Providers often resort to
turning these patients away because they are unfamiliar with
so many aspects of their healthcare and are unsure of how to
care for these individuals (Ungar, 2015). Refusal of care can be
detrimental, much like in the case of Robert Eads. Kailey
(2005) shared the tragic story of Mr. Eads, who transitioned
from female to male, but was refused care by over twenty
doctors leading to his death from ovarian cancer. Many of the
doctors did not want to care for him because they did not want
him to be seen in their waiting room or felt his case was too
much of a burden. Currently, there is no certification of
expertise in transgender medicine, meaning that there are no
physicians who are legally recognized to have “exceptional
expertise” in this area (Human Rights Campaign, 2015a). This
makes the task of finding a well-trained physician even more
difficult. The absence of expertise by providers makes seeking