A transgender man has spoken out about the "trauma" he suffered at the hands of medical professionals during his pregnancy.
Kayden Coleman, whose baby girl is now 10-months-old, opened up about the experience in an interview with TODAY.
The 34-year-old, who also has a seven-year-old daughter, said of his pregnancies: "There was a lot of trauma. Most of that came from inside the birthing world, with medical professionals. There was a lot of questioning about my identity, a lot of misgendering.
He added: "Being told I shouldn't be in spaces I was seeking care from because they were considered women's spaces. I was offered an abortion a ridiculous amount of times."
Coleman went on to tell the outlet that healthcare workers consistently undermined him during his second pregnancy, despite him not being a first-time parent.
He said: "In the medical world, it was assumed that I wasn't capable. Even with my second child, I would tell them over and over that this wasn't my first. And they still talked to me as though I had no idea what I was doing."
The doting dad believes he was not afforded "the perks" of pregnancy as most were unaware that he was expecting.
However, in many ways, he feels grateful that few people knew that he, as a man, was with child. Especially considering violence against trans people is still ongoing in many parts of the world, including the States.
"I didn't have to walk around in fear, worrying that people wanted to inflict violence on me," Coleman added. "They thought I had a beer belly."
The father-of-two strongly believes that personal beliefs should not impact in any way on the medical care that trans people receive.
He said: "It’s not about whether or not you quote-unquote agree with us. We don’t care about your acceptance or agreement. We just want equity and safe, inclusive care."
Since his difficult experience with pregnancy and childbirth, Coleman has been teaching birth workers in trans fertility and birth workshops.
Ultimately, Coleman, along with many other trans people, feels that the medical system does not accommodate trans people in the way that it should. He hopes to educate those working in healthcare in order to improve the system.