Gender AFFIRMING SERVICES

SHIPS is guided by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) when providing treatment and support for transgender, non-binary and gender nonconforming people. We adhere to global standards of care that are informed by evidence-based research. 

We provide treatment/support for people to:

• Explore their gender and find a gender role that feels comfortable for them

• Explore social, legal and medical transitions that might be right for them

• Support/manage any distress associated with marginalisation and discrimination, or minority stress

We can provide assessments and written reports to:

• Assess/support suitability of hormone therapy if requested by your General Practitioner

• Assess/support suitability for surgery (chest, genitals)

• Assess/support suitability for "aesthetic" surgery (facial restructuring, body contouring, if requested by your surgeon)

What makes SHIPS safe? 

• We educate all our staff on inclusive language and practice

• It is our policy to use gender neutral language until we know your pronouns

• Our registration forms ask you to identify your name, legal name, pronouns, gender identity and other information we need to know to make you feel safe

• We have a gender-neutral bathroom

• We welcome any feedback on improving our services

Some useful information:

Gender nonconforming refers to the extent to which a person’s gender identity, role, or expression differs from the cultural norms prescribed for people of a particular sex.

Gender dysphoria refer to discomfort or distress that is caused by the discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth. 

Changing gender expression can involve social changes, legal changes, and medical changes. You have the right to explore your gender and express and represent it in a way that feels right for you.

 Social changes can include:

• Letting people in a social environment know your pronouns (eg. they, she, he)

• Letting people in your environment know your name

• Physically presenting yourself in a way that aligns with your gender in a social environment (eg. through dress, makeup, hair (removal, cutting, dying), binding, tucking genitals, ‘packing’, voice training)

Legal changes can include:

• Legally changing your name, gender marker, title and pronouns so that it is reflected on all public records eg. Driver licence, Medicare card

 Medical changes can include:

• Hormone therapy to feminise or masculinise the body

• Surgery to change primary or secondary sex characteristics (chest, genitals, facial restructuring, body contouring)