Conscientious objection to caring for transgender people: An ethical right or a discriminatory attitude?
Charalampos MilionisAikaterini ToskaPublished in: International journal of nursing practice (2023)
In general, the right of health professionals to abstain from contested duties on moral grounds must be protected. However, claims to conscience cannot be accepted within centers specialized in gender transitioning and for services unrelated to gender affirmation such as routine and urgent care. Personal responsibility and discretion on the part of clinicians is the most appropriate way to compromise between protecting the moral integrity of health professionals and shielding trans persons' access to care. Guidance is proffered on how to resolve the apparent impasse emerging from the denial of various types of health services to transgender people.