The binding practices of transgender and gender-diverse adults in Sydney, Australia

Binding, or the non-invasive compression of chest tissue, is often used to facilitate a more comfortable expression of individuals' gender prior to, or in lieu of, surgical intervention for assigned people. This study aims to provide insight into the ways in which gender-diverse individuals in Sydney, Australia perceive the health impacts of ad ascribe meaning to binding. It also explores how individuals negotiate available resources and support around this practice. Ten trans or gender-diverse participants who were assigned female at birth were recruited via social media and community organisations. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and thematically analysed by a peer researcher. Four main themes were identified: (1) diversity of experiences; (2) negotiating (dis)comfort: participants negotiated between physical, emotional and social comforts and discomforts; (3) perceptions of safety: in the absence of formal research, participants mediate public narratives of fear; and (4) interactions with health care: insensitivity and incomprehension present barriers to care. These findings have implications for the way binding should be approached by health-care practitioners. Approaches require culturally competent care and appropriate harm reduction strategies which consider the importance of binding in individuals' daily lives as well as the diversity of experiences.