Giddy just put out a piece on Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and sexual health. Read more here.
2023 Gender Census Results
The worldwide report for this year’s Gender Census survey has been published. There were over 40,000 participants internationally! (WOW)
Here are a few links:
Are you disabled / chronically ill and pregnant?
The follow is a call for research participants to test a tool. I’m not involved, but it popped up on my radar, but I’m sharing here.
Brandeis University, the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and others have worked together to develop a new tool – an Accessible Pregnancy Action Plan. This tool would help pregnant people with disabilities think about what they need during pregnancy, during birth, and after having their baby.
They are looking for people between 12 and 36 weeks along in their pregnancies who have disabilities / chronic illnesses and also use English or American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate.
Participants will work on their Action Plan with a peer facilitator, who is also a parent with a disability. These meetings will take place over Zoom. There will be between 2 and 4 meetings.
Most participants will complete the intervention in two sessions. They will be paid $50 per session. Participants who complete the program will also be compensated an additional $50.
Learn more about the study and take the screener here.
Survey: Talking to HCPs and Access
Back in 2016, I collected some initial information about how people felt they could talk to healthcare providers (HCPs) about sexual health and function, sexual orientation, and gender. Then, in the fall of 2019, I conducted a more extensive survey. I’m still working on the results of that survey.
With the changes occurring in the last few years, though, I wanted to collect information again. Allow me to introduce you to the new 2023 survey.
This survey asks the same questions as before, such as “Have any of your physicians or other healthcare providers talked to you about sex or sexual issues?” It also has a section about how recent anti-equity efforts, such as rampant transphobia, have affected these conversations.
This survey is open as of May 28, 2023, and will close at the end of the day on July 31, 2023. It is only open to US residents aged 18 and up.
Communicating With Your Partner 101
Communication is the foundation of any healthy and lasting relationship. That shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, no partner can read minds or guess what you need at all times. Most of the questions I get really boil down to partners not communicating due to fear, worry, stigma, and more.
The truth is that communication isn’t just stating facts and opinions. It’s the way we express emotions, empathy and support. One of the most important aspects of communication with your partner is telling them how you feel about them and expressing your appreciation, love and commitment. These words of affirmation and validation can make a huge difference in your relationship and strengthen the bond between you and your partner.
Let’s dig into some of the important things that you and your partner need to do so that you both feel loved, appreciated, and supported.
Gender Census 2023 Now Open!
The 10th annual international gender census, collecting information about the language we use to refer to ourselves and each other, is now open until 9th May 2023. This is a short and easy survey.
What is the Gender Census?
The Gender Census is an annual survey that collects information about the language used by people whose genders are not adequately described, expressed or encompassed by the restrictive gender binary. It has taken place every year since 2015.
The language we ask about includes identity words, honorific titles, and pronouns.
Who can take this survey?
The gender binary is a societal model that classifies all humans into one of two categories:
- Woman/girl – always, solely and completely
- Man/boy – always, solely and completely
If you feel like that doesn’t fit your experience of yourself and your own gender in some way, you are invited to participate. This includes, but is definitely not limited to:
- people whose genders change over time.
- people whose genders fluctuate in intensity.
- people who experience more than one gender at a time.
- people who don’t experience gender at all.
- people whose gender is neither male/man nor female/woman.
We also welcome anyone who:
- rejects gender altogether.
- feels like they’re outside of gender.
- feels like they transcend or move beyond gender or the gender binary.
- doesn’t really understand gender as it applies to them.
- is questioning whether their flavour of trans might be binary or nonbinary.
It’s completely up to you whether you feel you fit any of these. This survey leans on the side of inclusive.
You can find data from previous years’ here. This is research from within our community and responses are anonymous.
How do I participate?
Click here to take the survey. It will close on or around May 9th.
Note: language in this post is taken from the Gender Census site.
Announcing the Trans Health Legal Fund
The following press release was issued on Monday, March 7, 2023:
In the face of widespread attacks on transgender people’s bodily autonomy, Transgender Law Center and If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund are coming together to launch the Trans Health Legal Fund.
This fund provides economic resources and support for people facing investigation, arrest, or prosecution for seeking gender-affirming healthcare. This fund is a vital tool to protect our communities from pervasive attacks on their access to healthcare from extremist policymakers, police, and prosecutors.
“Trans and nonbinary people deserve the right to access the medical care and resources that align with their needs,” said Shelby Chestnut, Executive Director of Transgender Law Center. “The increasing threats of legislators attempting to ban and criminalize gender affirming care and abortion have highlighted even more the need for a collective response. We’re proud to partner with If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund to create a pathway to liberation and bodily autonomy for all people.”
“Our fights for reproductive justice and trans liberation are deeply intertwined. As our movements face continuous waves of attacks on our bodily autonomy, it’s essential that we show up together to support the needs of our communities,” said Rafa Kidvai, Director of If/When/How’s Repro Legal Defense Fund. “Criminalization creates a harmful, life-long domino effect on someone’s life, whether they face jail, arrest, or surveillance. Together with the Transgender Law Center, we will work to minimize the harms of the criminal legal system and fight to ensure our communities can live safely and authentically.”
The Trans Health Legal Fund will curtail the deep and lasting harm of facing criminalization by providing financial support that’s for the whole human – from bail to commissary to therapy. Transgender people who are facing criminalization for seeking healthcare can apply to the fund at www.transgenderlawcenter.org.
Transgender Law Center (TLC) is the largest national trans-led organization advocating for a world in which all people are free to define themselves and their futures. Grounded in legal expertise and committed to racial justice, TLC employs a variety of community-driven strategies to keep transgender and gender nonconforming people alive, thriving, and fighting for liberation.
The Repro Legal Defense Fund (RLDF) is a program of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice that works to prevent, defend against, and put a permanent stop to the criminalization of people’s bodies. The RLDF provides bail and strong defenses for anyone criminalized for something that happens during pregnancy, and the folks who directly support them.
Calling nonbinary folks with nonbinary partners!
Have you heard of the LNLH study? This study seeks to gain insight into how nonbinary partners who live together share household labor (tasks such as cooking, cleaning, taking out the trash, etc.).
To be eligible to participate, you must have a nonbinary identity, and currently living with one romantic partner, or multiple romantic partners, who has/have a nonbinary identity.
Zoom interviews typically last around one hour. Interviewees will receive $50 Etsy e-gift cards as compensation for their time.
This is not limited to U.S. partipants only, either. If you’re interested and international, please check it out!
If interested, please scan the QR code in the photo or visit https://bit.ly/LNLHstudy
Disability and Technology Policy Survey
Researchers at Purdue University are studying how disability and technology policy can change to make life better for people who use adaptive equipment and assistive technology:
We are investigating how people with disabilities in the United States qualify for, access, and maintain adaptive and assistive technologies. This study explores people’s experiences with acquiring, maintaining, and advocating for assistive and adaptive technology. We are collecting this information to inform future technology design, changes in technology policy, and to support a public information campaign, all of which we hope will improve technology access for people with disabilities in the United States. Your participation in this study will take 10-20 minutes of your time.
You are being asked to participate in this survey because you are a person with a disability who uses adaptive or assistive technology. We would like to enroll at least 250 people in this study. The survey will close if we reach 1000 responses. In total, this project will involve up to 1120 participants across multiple stakeholder groups and data collection methods.
You will be asked a series of questions about your experiences with adaptive and assistive technology. After completion of the survey, you are invited to email the researchers if you are interested in participating in longer format interviews about the same topic.
The survey will take approximately 20 minutes or less.
To participate or for more details, click here.
Research Opportunity for Folks in Recovery from Drug and Alcohol Use Disorder
One of my friends is currently working on collecting data for his PhD. Please see below.
Aaron M. Laxton, student in the school of social work at Saint Louis University, is inviting you to participate in this research study.
The title of this study is “Examining Spatial Reasoning in Individuals Recovering from Drug and Alcohol Use Disorder”. The purpose of this study is to measure spatial reasoning among individuals who are recovering from drug and alcohol abuse. A secondary objective is to assess the effects of substance abuse and recovery on spatial reasoning.
Your participation in this study will involve participating in an online survey. The study proposes that it will take 5 minutes to complete the survey.
Participation in this study will not benefit you directly. Your participation may benefit others by expanding knowledge regarding strategies, interventions, services provision, and accessibility that enhance the overall wellbeing of international students
The risks to the participant are minimal and include loss of anonymity. To minimize this risk, the study team will not collect any identifiable information including IP addresses. Study data will only be accessible to the study team. You may experience participant distress or discomfort experienced because of answering questions on survey instruments or feel pressure to answer questions or to provide responses in assessments. This pressure may cause stress or distress. To minimize these risks, you can choose not to answer any question that makes you uncomfortable.
The results of this study may be published in scientific research journals or presented at professional conferences. However, your name and identity will not be revealed, and your record will remain anonymous. Data collection instruments will not request any personally identifiable information.
You can choose not to participate. If you decide not to participate, there will not be a penalty for you or the loss of any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw from this study at any time.
If you would like to look more into this study – or complete the survey – please click here.