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Italy's midwifery association is pushing for better training and more inclusive services for LGBTQIA+ patients. At their national congress, midwives tackled everything from bureaucratic barriers to clinical nuances like transgender pregnancies and induced lactation. The effort sparked political controversy, but practitioners say their focus remains firmly on science-based, patient-centered care.
Italy's midwifery association, the Associazione Italiana di Ostetricia (AIO), is making a concerted push to improve healthcare access and clinical care for LGBTQIA+ people. At their national congress in Rimini, midwives addressed structural barriers — like transgender patients being misassigned to hospital wards or missing cancer screening invitations due to registry mismatches — alongside the need for respectful, assumption-free clinical interactions.
On the clinical side, midwives are building skills around transgender-specific care: understanding how testosterone affects vulvar tissue, providing pelvic floor rehabilitation after vaginoplasty, and supporting transgender men through pregnancy and breastfeeding. Induced lactation techniques for non-birthing partners — using hormonal protocols, galactagogues, and mechanical stimulation — are also gaining attention.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: As LGBTQIA+ patients become more visible in clinical settings, gaps in training and systemic barriers are translating into real disparities in care. Italy's midwives are working to close those gaps — even as they face significant political resistance.
