Sex-Positive Approaches to Educating, Supporting, and Listening to TGD Youth in Clinical Encounters

Abstract

This chapter reviews strategies and resources to integrate a sex-positive approach into clinical care for trans and gender-diverse (TGD) youth (up to age 26). The authors begin by reviewing why a sex-positive lens is helpful to providing relevant care to TGD youth. They also argue that such a lens necessitates that providers build an intersectional understanding of their own social location and experiences around power because all axes of identity, privilege, and oppression inform each other and affect clinical impact. Then, sex-positive clinical questions and scripts are offered as tools to help providers have affirming and appropriate professional conversations around sexuality. In regard to supporting clients in making self-determined choices, the authors suggest using a harm reduction approach that does not assume pathology and offers medically accurate information and empowers clients to make decisions that work in their specific context. Finally, the authors offer specific suggestions for clinicians to take a sex-positive approach while working with youth across different psychosocial developmental stages.