A regional reference health unit in Cuenca seeks to guarantee dignified, comprehensive and discrimination-free care
The Government of Castilla La Mancha has taken an important step towards the consolidation of comprehensive and specialized health care for trans and intersex people. It has done so through the formal creation of a regional reference Health Care Unit, located in the Integrated Care Management of Cuenca. Although the unit had already been operating for eight years, it is now officially recognized with legal support and a defined regulatory framework.
This means that, from now on, the care provided to this group will have clear protocols, specific resources and coordinated operation within the region’s public health system. For many, it is a significant advance in the recognition of the health rights of diversity.
What services will this unit offer?
The Unit is designed to comprehensively address the health needs of trans and intersex people. Among its main functions are:
- Personalized medical assessments.
- Psychological support.
- Individualized hormonal treatments.
- Specialized care for minors at key moments in their development.
- Surgical referrals, if required by each case.
- Information and advice on assisted reproduction.
- Emotional support for family members and close environment.
The option of preserving gonadal tissue or reproductive cells before starting hormonal or surgical treatments will also be provided. All this from an approach of respect, autonomy and without judgements.
Who is part of this unit?
The structure of the Unit is multidisciplinary. It is made up of professionals from areas such as Endocrinology, Pediatrics, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Gynecology, Social Work, and has the support of specialties such as Plastic Surgery, Urology, Speech Therapy or Internal Medicine. This approach seeks to guarantee global care, adapted to each person, without having to travel from consultation to consultation.
In addition, visits will be organized so that all services are concentrated, as far as possible, on the same day and place. Because no one should have to go through a medical process that becomes exhausting just because of how they identify or what their body is like.
An attention model with a human face
This unit does not only deal with medical issues. It will also be in charge of training and raising awareness among other health personnel about the reality of trans and intersex people. Because offering care without prejudice requires more than technical training: it requires empathy, active listening and a willingness to learn.
Access to this unit will be made through referral from other hospital services, managed by the admission team and coordinated by a user manager. The idea is to make the path easier, not to put more obstacles.
A step towards a more diverse healthcare
Between 2020 and so far in 2025, the Cuenca unit has treated 378 new patients, of which more than 23% are under 17 years of age. Figures that show that this care is necessary and that many already trust this space to receive care.
The challenge now is to maintain that trust, improve what can be improved and, above all, guarantee that this unit is not an exception, but part of a system that truly takes care of everyone, regardless of their identity or gender expression.
