# A reducing demand for tertiary hospital‐based gender affirming care in Victoria, Australia

## TL;DR

Referrals to tertiary gender clinics in Victoria, Australia, have plateaued or slightly decreased, possibly due to a shift toward primary and community-based care.

## Contribution

The study identifies a shift in demand for gender-affirming care from tertiary hospitals to primary/community services.

## Key findings

- New referrals to tertiary gender clinics in Victoria plateaued or slightly decreased from 2020 to 2024.
- The reduction may be linked to increased use of primary and community-based services.
- Decentralizing care could reduce strain on tertiary clinics while maintaining access.

## Abstract

This study presents a retrospective audit of new referrals to three tertiary gender clinics in Victoria, Australia, from 2020 to 2024. It finds a plateau and slight reduction in referrals, in contrast to previous increases over the preceding decade. The reduction may stem from a shift to primary and community‐based services. These findings suggest decentralising care could ease strain on tertiary clinics while maintaining access, informing models for the delivery of genderaffirming care in Australia.