TransPULSE Research Project -

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

An open letter to all Trans community members in Ontario from Anna Travers, Director, Rainbow Health Ontario and formerly Director of LGBT Services at Sherbourne Health Centre

Greetings:
You may have heard of the TransPULSE Research Project or perhaps not yet. It is a study of the health and well-being of trans people in Ontario that has been four years in the making. I am writing to tell you why it is important and to ask for your help.

A Little History:
This study was initiated in 2005 when my organization, Sherbourne Health Centre, was overwhelmed with the numbers of trans people seeking health care - especially people from places far outside our catchment area of Toronto. At that time, I consulted with our Trans Advisory Committee and we decided we had to try to create more services where trans people could receive respectful health care, including hormones and social support, right across this province. SRS was still not available under OHIP then so we were also working hard to change that too.

Starting with a small seed grant, a group of trans community members with histories of trans activism and community service began to design a research project that would demonstrate the problems with our health care system and show the impact of gaps in services and discrimination on trans people's health and lives. Although many of us know about these problems first hand or through our work with the trans community, there have not been any large research studies in Canada that can demonstrate to the government, to funders and to health care providers how hard it is to access health care and other services and how difficult life can be for trans people in Ontario.

Our goal is to reach 1000 trans people, representing all kinds of diversity from across the entire province

Control by Trans People
The Advisory Committee knew that lots of trans people had lost faith in researchers because so many studies had not served the trans community's needs. They decided that our research must be designed and controlled by trans people. This is how it has been with this project - trans people have chosen the academic researchers who have brought needed skills to the project, recruited staff, held focus groups and spent hundreds of hours ensuring that every question is relevant and thoughtfully worded.

The Study
Now we have a study that is designed to capture lots of important information about the experiences of our diverse trans communities - with health care, housing, employment, education, etc. We also thought it important to learn about how trans people live their lives, deal with barriers and find fulfilment so there are also questions about childhood, school, sexuality, relationships and parenting. All is confidential, no one will be identifiable and you can use a computer, paper copy or the telephone to complete the survey - you can even request a translator. The TransPULSE Survey is a very long study - but there is so much that we need to know! (Know = have scientifically valid evidence; evidence = the power to persuade, educate and make change)

How You Can Help
The TransPULSE Study is designed to reach out to a very diverse range of trans people (not just those in Toronto or those who are well connected). As a result you have to wait to get an invitation (a ticket) from another trans person who is taking the survey to participate. This method, which works a bit like a chain letter, means that the results are much more valid and reliable. So how can you help?

Talk to your friends know about the study and why it is important (send this letter out widely)
If you get a ticket (invitation to participate) please put aside an hour or more to complete the survey as soon as possible
Pass on the 3 tickets you will receive right after completing the survey to other trans people and encourage them to participate in building the evidence we need
Check out the Trans PULSE website http://www.transpulse.ca for more information and to see how the survey is going.

After We Reach Enough People
The sooner we get enough surveys back, the sooner we can analyze the data and start sharing the results. The information we learn could make a huge difference to trans people's access to health care and other services. The Ministry of Health is aware of the study and is sincerely interested in our findings. We also have plans to provide feedback to trans people themselves in a variety of creative and useful ways.

Thank you for reading this. Please forward it on to friends and listservs serving Ontario.
Sincerely, Anna Travers, Rainbow Health Ontario www.rainbowhealthontario.ca

Let's show that 1000 trans people in Ontario care about their health and want to make change!

http://www.transpulse.ca/