Ob-gyn resident authors WHO document on sexual and gender diversity, health and human rights, for worldwide use

Fourth-year ob-gyn resident Tommy Hana is the primary author of an FAQ for the World Health Organization (WHO) that outlines key information on health and human rights as they relate to sexual and gender diversity.

The FAQ is a rarity, one of the only accepted documents that is used worldwide by a range of policymakers, researchers, educators, health-care workers and advocates. It defines concepts, introduces terms, and lays out guaranteed rights as determined by international human rights treaties with regards to LGBTQI+ health.

The second, updated edition of the document was released on October 15, 2024.

We caught up with Hana, who holds the title of Consultant, Gender Equity and Human Rights at WHO, to explain the project and the process involved.

How did you first get involved with WHO?

I first started as an intern with WHO in 2016 in the Department of Gender, Equity, and Human Rights. Back then there was a dearth of WHO guidelines and policy documents on sexual and gender diversity. During my internship, I collaborated with various groups — departments within WHO, UN agencies, world experts at various universities and NGOs across the globe — to develop the first edition of the FAQ.

As the primary author on both the first and second editions of the FAQ, I was involved in data collection, policy analysis, drafting, editing, and eventually publishing both versions. This was a multiyear process which involved various WHO staff, UN staff, academics, NGOs, governments, and other state- and non-state-actors.

How is this document used throughout the world?

The FAQ is one of the only internationally accepted documents on sexual and gender diversity and its relation to health and human rights. What this means is that even in countries where being LGBTQI+ is criminalized, this document has been considered acceptable for use by government bodies, researchers, NGOs, academic and health-care institutions.

It is also used internally within WHO when drafting policies and guidelines, and across the world by academics and — notably — by ministries of health.

What were some of the challenges you encountered as primary author? 

There were many challenges, some anticipated, some unanticipated.

When I drafted the first FAQ, I had a great deal of pushback from some of WHO’s 194 member states, which WHO is accountable to. The discriminatory laws of some do limit their exploration of the health of sexual and gender diverse individuals. This document was new territory to many — the first of its kind, and one of the only WHO documents that explored LGBTQI+ health outside of the context of HIV.

Also, developing the FAQs, similar to any document published by WHO, involves an incredibly rigorous review process. Coordinating with the team in Geneva while working as a resident in Toronto is a challenge itself, let alone working with the collaborators in various time zones across the globe.  

What does it mean to you to contribute your expertise in this way?

It’s one of my life’s greatest privileges, being in a position where I can advocate for those that are in less than ordinary circumstances on an internationally recognized and legitimized stage.

A kid from Rexdale does not by chance just end up working at WHO and publishing one of the only internationally accepted documents on such a contentious topic! I’ve been incredibly lucky to have an unwavering community of mentors that have helped me get to this point. I’ve learned a great deal in the process and have been able to use the contacts and skills I have developed to improve how I deliver patient care and advocate for the communities I aim to serve as an ob-gyn.