Gender Affirming Care
Sindecuse Health Center is committed to caring for all patients' medical needs to the best of our ability. We provide gender-affirming care for transgender and non-binary individuals to align with their true self. To do this, we offer many services including: mental health evaluations and care, screening tests, and gender-affirming hormone treatment. We believe it is imperative that individuals are well-informed about personal risks, options available to them, helpful resources, and how the process of medical transitioning works. We use various gender-inclusive practices including:
- Therapy with on or off-campus counselors that are comfortable and familiar with transgender and non-binary identities
- Meeting and planning care with our medical providers
- Medical documentation reflects correct names and pronouns
- Evidence-based standards of care established by World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
The purpose of these practices is to empower the individual to make the best decision for themselves while assessing the patient’s ability to give informed consent. Informed consent is the ability to understand the risks, benefits, alternatives, limitations, and unknown risks of treatment including the risk of no treatment. Working together, we hope to be successful in helping you find and be your true self.
What to expect at your first visit
We utilize the informed consent model of care for gender-affirming hormone therapy. We have a dedicated provider who has had additional training in transgender healthcare. We also have therapists and counselors who are experienced in transgender mental health.
Your first appointment will be approximately one hour. Your provider will:
- Inquire about your gender experience
- Determine the goals of therapy and discuss expectations
- Review past medical and surgical history
- Gather family medical history
- Review current and past medications
- Ensure there are no reasons why gender-affirming hormone therapy may be medically inappropriate
- Perform a physical exam and order baseline lab work
You and your provider will review available options for gender affirming therapies, the permanent and reversible effects of the medications you may be prescribed, their side effects, and how the medication may affect you physically and mentally.
Your provider may ask you to work with a therapist to help with issues that may arise in transitioning.
You will be given a copy of the informed consent agreement to review, literature explaining the expectations of hormone therapy, time frames, and a list of online resources.
You will be given time to ask questions and voice concerns about medical transitioning.
Follow-up care after an initial visit
Your provider will typically see you within a week after your initial visit. Here’s what to expect:
- Review lab results
- Answer questions about informed consent and sign the document
- Prescribe hormones and any needed supplies
- Schedule injection training with a nurse, if prescribed
- Subsequent care will include a one-month follow-up visit and appointments every three months until hormones are stabilized
You may be asked:
- About your daily care and health care habits
- To have lab work done before or after follow-up appointments to check if levels are therapeutic and to evaluate for side effects or indications of harm
- To participate in preventative health care such as a gynecological or prostate exam
Insurance billing & your legal name
Although we work to provide respectful care and use your name, insurance companies require the use of your legal name in order to bill for services rendered. It is possible that this requirement will result in your legal name being used on documentation including medical files, prescriptions, and billing statements, among others.
Insurance questions to ask
We advise all patients to be aware of their insurance coverage and benefits. You can contact your insurance company to obtain this information using the phone number listed on the back of your card.
We do not view transgender and gender non-conforming identities as a disorder. Some insurance companies require “transsexualism” as a diagnosis while others accept gender dysphoria. We bill gender-affirming hormone treatment in the way insurance companies necessitate to cover this medical intervention. You can ask the following questions to be more informed about your coverage details and financial responsibilities:
- Is gender-affirming hormone treatment a covered benefit for transsexualism?
- Are there any diagnostic restrictions for covering gender-affirming hormone treatment?
- What is my deductible?
- What is my co-pay for this service?
- What is my prescription coverage plan?
Eligibility
We serve many patient groups in the campus community and beyond. A web page describes eligibility for services.