– HKS is the only resource I dared to go to. It’s sad. Not only for my own part, but I’m sad on behalf of all transgender people.
That’s what Siv Natanael Hjortland says. Hjortland is non-binary, and chose to contact HKS for help and treatment.
– The fact that I am non-binary means that I have a very small chance of receiving treatment at Rikshospitalet. But I had heard a lot of good things about HKS.
Only public offer
HKS is a health station on Grünerløkka in Oslo for young people under 30, living in Oslo. On their website, they state that there are doctors, psychologists, nurses and sexological counselors working there. Here they can, among other things, offer gender-confirming hormone treatment to people with gender incongruence.
Gender incongruence is a medical diagnosis that means that a person’s gender identity experience does not correspond to the person’s biological gender.
HKS and Rikshospitalet are the only public health services in Norway that offer this form of treatment.
– PREPARATION: Hjortland prepares for demonstration for preservation of HKS on Thursday Photo: Ole Thomas Halvorsen / TV 2
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Letter from the State Administrator
On Thursday last week, HKS published a post on Facebook, where they write that they have been told to stop hormone treatment. They further write that they do not know what this means in practice.
The background for the post is a letter the State Administrator in Oslo and Viken has sent to the health station, which states, among other things, that only the special health service can prescribe the start of hormone treatment.
The letter states that “The State Administrator assumes that HKS notices the feedback and organizes its activities in accordance with this in the future.”
In this case, the special health service will mean Rikshospitalet.
The State Administrator: – No suspension imposed
District chief physician for Grünerløkka, Lars Erik Hansen, tells TV 2 that their interpretation of the letter is that only the special health service can prescribe the start of hormone treatment. Therefore, HKS must comply with this feedback, he says.
This means that the 50 people who are now on the waiting list to receive treatment at the health station, may risk not receiving treatment at all.
At the same time, the State Administrator says that they does not has asked HKS to stop hormone therapy.
In an e-mail to TV 2, communications manager Liv Asta Ødegaard at the State Administrator writes:
«The state administrator in Oslo and Viken has not given Oslo municipality an order to stop giving hormone treatment to people with gender incongruence. On the basis of complaints and concerns received, the State Administrator has started a supervisory case where we have asked the City of Oslo to review its own practice related to the treatment of children with hormones and puberty-delaying treatment. We do not wish to comment further on the matter during the ongoing supervision case. “
According to NRK, which first mentioned the letter, there have been complaints against HKS via the national treatment service for gender incongruence at Rikshospitalet. The complaints include allegations that HKS is not allowed to start treatment with sex-confirming hormones.
– Do you see how the letter can be interpreted in the direction that HKS must stop hormone treatment?
– We have asked HKS to review the case ourselves. We have neither stopped the health station’s work in this field nor had any intentions of doing so, writes assistant county doctor in Oslo, Helga Arianson.
– ENGAGED: Hjortland proposed to his girlfriend on Facetime, and got yes. Photo: Ole Thomas Halvorsen / TV 2
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– It’s traumatic
Isak Bradley, head of the Patient Organization for Gender Incongruence (PKI), is concerned about the situation. He says that he receives inquiries from people who have been put on a waiting list, and who may now risk not receiving treatment.
– Now there are many who have been told that they can start treatment, who may not receive treatment anyway. They often have high expectations and may have told friends and family about it. It’s traumatic, Bradley told TV 2.
– I expect answers on what is happening, and with whom. This is vital treatment. I am one of the few who have come through the eye of the needle at Rikshospitalet, and I feel a great responsibility towards other trans people, so that they can live good lives.
– AT DEMONSTRATION: Leader of the Patient Organization for Gender Incongruence, Isak Bradley, hopes that HKS can continue with hormone treatment of transgender people. Photo: Ole Thomas Halvorsen / TV 2
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Several TV 2s have spoken to say that they seek out HKS in favor of Rikshospitalet, because Rikshospitalet is more restrictive in who they give treatment to.
Anne Wæhre tells TV 2 that they do not perceive themselves as restrictive, but provide treatment where they believe there is a reason for it.
Wæhre confirms that they do not treat non-binary as HKS does.
– It is not sufficiently documented that this is good treatment.
Has invited to a meeting
The Norwegian Directorate of Health confirms that they have requested a meeting with the State Administrator and the City of Oslo next week.
– The Norwegian Directorate of Health has been informed that the State Administrator’s response has led to changes in the services for patients with gender incongruence, who do not need highly specialized health services, writes division director in the Norwegian Directorate of Health Johan Torgersen in an e-mail to TV 2.
District chief physician Lars Erik Hansen hopes for a “quick treatment of the ambiguities in the guidelines.”
– This is to reduce the psychological strain this has on the patients who are now waiting for hormone treatment, he says.
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