RESEARCH STUDY CONSENT FORM:
You are invited to participate in a research study by Dr. Phoenix Rosewood, PhD., MA, LMHC, of Westfield State University and Dr. Melanie Walsh, PhD, LPC-S, of the University of New Haven. This study has undergone IRB approval from Antioch University Seattle. This form describes the study to help you determine if you are comfortable participating.
CRITERIA FOR PARTICIPATION:
You are invited to participate if you meet the following criteria:
-Participants who are 18 or older
-Identify as transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender-expansive
-Live most of the year (7+ months) in one of the following states: FL, MS, TX, OK, GA, SC, VA, KY, TN, AL, AR, LA, NC, DE, MD, MO, or WV
-Are currently pregnant, have attempted pregnancy, have experienced miscarriage or abortion, or have given birth
If you do not meet these criteria, thank you for your interest. You do not have to proceed further. You may simply close your browser window.
If you do meet these criteria, please continue reading the informed consent form for more information and to participate.
STUDY OVERVIEW AND PROCEDURE:
Researcher Self-reflexivity Statement: Both researchers involved the study are members of the queer community, one identifies as nonbinary and the other identifies as cisgender. Both researchers are white. Both researchers work extensively with gender and sexual minorities in their clinical practices and are providers of gender affirming care. One researcher is located in the Northeast while the other lives and works in the U.S. South.
The purpose of this study is to understand and explore the phenomenon of transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people navigating access to prenatal, perinatal and postnatal healthcare in the American South and the impact of this pursuit on their mental health. The research question asks, how do people living in the American south experience their attempts at receiving healthcare related to conception, gestation, and birth and how are these processes shaped by intersecting identities, including mental health, geography and their sense of their healthcare provider’s knowledge of gender expansive reproductive healthcare? The goal of this study is to understand barriers, supports, and the impact of current legislation and provider knowledge on TNG people’s health and well-being. Your insights will help inform future reports, presentations, and publications. All data will be de-identified.
Participation involves completing a confidential qualitative interview about your experiences accessing reproductive or pregnancy-related healthcare in the South. If you participate in the study, you will be asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and engage with 8 open-ended questions. The total time commitment for the survey and questionnaire is 20 minutes or longer.