By Staff • Moncton • 2026-06-23
Gene Dixon has created a portal for Q health care in New Brunswick. Wayves caught up with Gene earlier this month.
What is NB in NB?
NB in NB was created as an information hub for anyone interested in gender diverse care, either for themselves or for someone in the community. I’m currently studying to be an Administrative Assistant in health services. While learning about what resources and guidelines exist for 2SLGBTQIA+ care, I would frequently run into dead links or outdated and missing information. Sometimes a step in the process to get care was vague with no guidance on how to proceed. Information conflicted between sources. I want to make healthcare for this community easier to navigate, so I’ve aimed to do that with the main feature of the site: The New Brunswick Gender Inclusive Care Research Assistant.
What is The New Brunswick Gender Inclusive Care Research Assistant?
It's a database of anything that supports the health, wellness, and community of gender diverse New Brunswickers. It covers healthcare topics while considering the needs of gender diverse patients. Information and peer-reviewed published research is provided for topics like bone health, heart health, reproductive health, aging, cancer, and migraines. Additional resources are also provided at the provincial, Atlantic Canadian, and nationwide levels. These include social groups, educational initiatives, information for legal transition, book recommendations, and a list of 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusive healthcare providers.
You mention "health, wellness, and community”. What’s the distinction between health and wellness that you’re making here?
Gender inclusive care can’t begin and end with HRT and gender reassignment surgery; it has to be encompassing. I consider wellness a measure of how at peace with yourself you are. You can be physically healthy and not be well: an ideal resting heart rate and low self-esteem are not mutually exclusive attributes. Transition is mentally taxing and needs to be worked through in a way that’s compassionately affirming. Becoming a more authentic version of yourself shouldn’t be an isolating experience.
Who is The New Brunswick Gender Inclusive Care Research Assistant For?
Anyone who wants to know about the current state of healthcare for gender diverse folks in New Brunswick. Some of the studies and guidelines are aimed at medical professionals, but all the resources presented are publicly available. Gender diverse patients should know what standard of care to expect. The wait times to see doctors here in the province are not short, so being able to make the most of their time with their care team while they have it is important. Everyone should be able to go into their appointments educated and confident in having discussions with their provider about any aspect of gender affirming healthcare.
It seems to me that the details of how trans healthcare works in New Brunswick changes quite frequently. Do you have plans to keep your Assistant updated?
Except for milestone works or if nothing more recent exists on a given topic, all research cited is no older than a decade. Healthcare has to adapt with the research. Look at feminizing HRT. Transfeminine patients used to be prescribed ethinyl estradiol or equine premarin which had an increased risk for heart disease, blood clots, stroke and breast cancer. Those have since been replaced with 17‐beta‐estradiol, but the reputation of estrogen HRT causing strokes persists. Citing out-of-date data only leads to continued misinformation and worse care outcomes. So, yes, I have every intention of keeping the Assistant updated!
Anything else you’d like to add?
If there’s anything you want to learn about that I haven’t included yet, my inbox is always open for suggestions, feedback, or conversations. I’ll do my best to help where I have the capacity to. I’m not a healthcare professional, I can’t give you medical advice, and I’m certainly not going to diagnose you with anything. What I can do is help you access what information is out there by compiling and presenting it in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming.
