Improving Care for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People with IBD

Study code
NBR275

Lead researcher
​​​Dr Andrew Poullis​​ and ​​Dr Michael Colwill​

Study type
Online

Institution or company
St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & St George’s University of London

Researcher type
Academic

Speciality area
Health Services Research

Summary

The national census in England and Wales showed that 0.6% of people identify as transgender or gender non-conforming (TGNC). Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes swelling or bleeding in the bowel. We think there are about 2,500 TGNC people with IBD (TGNC-IBD) in England and Wales. TGNC people often have more health problems and get worse healthcare than those who identify with the same gender as at birth, named cisgender people. We know very little about TGNC-IBD people and their specific issues. We worry that we are not giving these patients good care. 

​We will ask anyone in the IBD BioResource who self-identifies as TGNC to complete a questionnaire online. We will ask questions about their disease and any complications with their IBD they have experienced. We can also look at treatments and how well they work. 

​We will also use the clinical data that the BioResource has on these participants to understand TGNC-IBD people better. We will look at this data to see what special needs they have and where doctors and nurses can improve the care they provide. Then, we will share this information with other IBD doctors and nurses to raise awareness and reduce stigma. 

Our study will help doctors and nurses understand the problems TGNC-IBD patients face. It will make people more aware of TGNC-IBD patients and reduce stigma. This will help improve care for TGNC-IBD patients and TGNC people in general.