NBME Supports Gender-Affirming Health Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth

NBME believes in access to health care for all patients, most particularly for vulnerable populations that face social determinants of health. Consistent with our mission and core values, this includes support for access to gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth. Compared to their cisgender peers, TGD youth experience significant mental health disparities. Restricting or limiting access to gender-related medically necessary care is discriminatory and reinforces health disparities that put vulnerable youth at risk for anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidality. Efforts to restrict care are dangerous and undermine the doctor-patient relationship. They also undermine the critically important principle that health care providers are in the best position to work with patients and their families to arrive at medical decisions that are most beneficial for the patient. We are opposed to discrimination based on an individual’s sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity and to any efforts that would lead to negative health outcomes for TGD people.

As a testing organization, we work to ensure our test items carefully incorporate patient characteristics and do not contribute to negative stereotypes or bias against transgender, gender-diverse, or any other group of people. 

We will continue to hold ourselves accountable to speak out against discrimination, racism and hate and to advocate for and effect change in furtherance of an equitable, peaceful, and just future.