Dr. Emmanuel Ajuwon has thought a lot about how to tackle the shortage of family physicians in this province. Recruiting more physicians gets a lot of attention, and rightfully so. But the Nigerian-born family doctor says it’s just as important to keep those who are already here. That means community engagement with, and support for, a new doctor and their family is crucial.

Gabriel Enxuga knows all too well the barriers to accessing gender-affirming care in Nova Scotia. “For me, the process of starting hormones took almost two years, and in that time, my mental health really suffered,” they said. That was more than ten years ago now, but Enxuga said many of the barriers that existed back then are still in place today.

A trans advocate in Halifax is calling for doctors and surgeons in Nova Scotia to stop using body mass index as an indicator of someone's health. Felix Vandergrift says the index, known as BMI, is discriminatory and is yet another barrier standing between trans individuals and life-changing gender-affirming surgeries.