Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Alabama and Alaska

Hi Everyone,

You know that we want you to be healthy and safe.  To help you with your health care we created a stae-by-state list (several years ago) of health care organizations that serve the transgender, nonbinary, gender queer and non-conforming community. Since we created the original posts a lot has change in the U.S., most notably hostile attacks by state-level lawmakers on the rights of individual citizens and particularly on the rights of minors with concurrence of their adult guardians.

This is unfortunately the case for Alabama where a ban on gender-affirming care is in effect. The 2022 law, SB184, bans best-practice healthcare for people under the age of 19, making hormone therapy, puberty-delaying medication, and surgery inaccessible in Alabama for any trans person until they turn 19. The law also imposes criminal felony penalties for providers who violate the law. The law is currently in effect.

Youth can still access mental health care, which is not restricted or banned by this law. Youth and their families may also travel to access care in other states where gender-affirming care has not been restricted. Prescriptions for gender-affirming medication can still legally be filled in Alabama, as the law does not govern pharmacies.

We recommend transgender youth and their families in Alabama use the following resource guide to help them navigate the care they need.

Resources for Families of Trans Youth in Alabama from The Campaign for Southern Equality

We are doing a weekly update of the posts on B.UR.SLF in alphabetical order

This week we are looking at Alabama and Alaska.  Many resources across the country are, to their credit, creating  comfortable places for transitional medicine as well as routine proactive health maintenance and interventionary health care.  We will try to highlight what is offered in each case.

If you still can’t find the health care you need, drop us a note on FB (B.UR.SLF LLC), instagram/ twitter @burslfllc or email burslfllc@gmail.com and we will see what we can do to help.

This week we are covering resources for Alabama and Alaska.

Alabama

Magic City Wellness Center (Website – Magic City Wellness Center, FB – Magic City Wellness Center, IG – mcwcbao)

Magic City Wellness aims to be a warm and welcoming site for the LGBTQ community to receive health care.  Although Magic City Wellness no longer has a live link to their Trans Health Care, they may still provide Hormone therapy and we recommend contacting them to confirm.

Magic City Wellness provides primary and holistic health care are as well as sexual health care.  There is help managing chronic health conditions.  Routine screenings and screening for cancer are offered and the center aims to help clients catch conditions early.  Counseling, support groups and mental health help is available.  Magic City Wellness recently opened.

There is ample help for  disease states including substance abuse and infectious states.

Payment Options:  Insurance and self-pay are accepted, check this link for insurance plans accepted. 

Magic City Wellness Center is located in Birmingham.

Is it illegal for transgender health care to be provided to citizens under 19 in Alabama.

UAB Medicine Gender Health Clinic (Website – Gender Health)

The Gender Health Clinic offers a unique, comprehensive approach to the medical management of gender health including hormone therapy and features specialists in endocrinology, infectious disease, and gender-affirming gynecological services. We offer some services directly, and we make referrals for gender-affirming voice therapy, dermatology, mental health services, and certain surgical procedures.

The Gender Health Clinic is located in the Whitaker Clinic of UAB Hospital in Birgmingham.

Payment Options:  check with the clinic

Thrive Alabama (Website – Thrive Alabama – Specialty Care, FB – Thrive Alabama Florence, IG – @thrive_alabama)

Thrive Alabama strives for an inclusive health care experience.  Perhaps because of the current political climate they have significantly changed their website and bundled a lot of care under the title Specialty Care.  They definitely provide the following to the LGBTQ community physical exams and routine healthcare, acute and preventive care for sexual and common infections including PrEP, cancer screenings,

Other services that were on the earlier website included gender affirming hormone therapy, consultations prior to gender affirming surgeries, care and other non-emergency conditions, chronic disease management, case management – to help overcome barriers to care, nutrition counseling and some mental health services and also dental care, but the new website abbreviated, so call to determine services available.

They do accept pediatric patients, but do not provide gender-affirming services to persons younger than 19.

Payment Options:  Thrive gives care to all patients and payment options include insurance options and sliding payment scales for uninsured patients.

Thrive has several locations and some are specialty locations like pediatrics.  Check the location link for details.

Plume Clinic 100% On-Line Gender-Affirming and Trans-Focused Healthcare  (Website – Plume, FB – Plume Clinic, IG – @plume_clinic)

Plume Clinic offers 100% on-line gender-affirming and trans-focused care for your full authentic self.  They offer a wide range of services including gender-affirming hormone therapy transition support, sexual health services, mental health and everyday wellness.

Click the Alabama link for Plume Clinic online service to Alabama

Payment Options:  Plume accepts insurance and self-pay for their monthly membership plans.

Patients must be 19 years of age to get services from Plume

 

Health Care for LGBT Veterans

We are no longer recommending the VA as a save space for LGBT health care for veterans.

Alaska

QueerDoc Gender-Affirming Tele-Health  in Partnership with Full Spectrum Health and Identity Alaska (see below) (Website – QueerDoc)

QueerDoc offers queer and gender diverse affirming medical care online.  QueerDoc offers hormone therapy, puberty blockers, PrEP, STI screening, contraception, medical and surgical referals and gender marker change consultation. – ALL ONLINE via TELEHEALTH.  Set up a free 15 minute consultation by pushing the Request Appointment button.

Payment Options:  QueerDoc through partnerships with.

Since QueerDoc is a telehealth service, QueerDoc serves ALL of Alaska.

Services from QueerDoc are open to patients of all ages.

 

Identity Health Clinic (Website – Identity Health Clinic, FB – Identity Inc., IG – @identityalaska)

Identity, is Alaska’s statewide online LGBTQ community which also has a community center in Anchorage.  In 2021 Identity Inc., through Identity Healthcare and in partnership with Full Spectrum Health Care and other community partners, like QueerDoc to meet the need for more gender affirming and queer affirming healthcare.  Contact Identity for specific services, service locations and payment options.

Identity also maintains a list of LGBT friendly medical care providers that include medical providers and endocrinologists for transgender people, adults and youth.  Contact individual providers for specific services, locations and payment options.

Full Spectrum Health, LLC (Website – Gender and Sexuality Confirming Health Care, FB – Full Spectrum Health, LLC, IG – @fullspectrumhealthak)

Full Spectrum Health specializes in gender and sexuality confirming health care including HRT, post-sugery care, primary care, full range of testing and treatment for STI/ HVI inclding PrEP and PEP.

Payment Options:  Full Spectrum (and in partnership with @QueerDoc) accepts insurance.  

The Full Spectrum Health Care physical site is located in Anchorage and they partner with @QueerDoc to provide services via telehealth, including HRT to the entire state of Alaska.

Full Spectrum serves children, youth and adults, check with Full Spectrum,providers and QueerDoc for age limits on specific services.

 

Alaska Planned Parenthood Health Centers are part of the Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Islands Alaska Indiana Kentucky – PPGNHI.  PPGNHI offers Gender Affirming Hormone Care (HRT) at all 27 of their Health Centers in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and western Washington. Alaska’s (5) Health Care Centers are located in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Soldotna and also through Telehealth.   Planned Parenthood in Alaska does not appear to have telehealth at the moment, but you may want to call the centers for an update as many centers have started telehealth to promote social distancing since the out break of Covid-19.

Payment Options:  Planned Parenthood accepts insurance and will help you work through insurance options too!  If you don’t have insurance or medicaid, some PP sites are able to offer discounted payments.  Check the link and contact PP for details.

Locations, see above.

Planned Parenthood generally offers HRT to patients 18+

 

 

True U Telehealth Clinic  for Gender-Affirming Care  (Website – True U Clinic, FB – True U Clinic, IG – @TrueU.clinic)

True U Clinic offers gender-affirming hormone therapy as well as testing and treatment for STI/ HVI including PrEP

Payment Options:  click the link for more information, some insurance may be accepted.

 

Chena Health (Website – Chena Health, FB – Chena Health)

Chena Health offers gender-affirming care via hormone therapy as well as surgical options.  Chena Health also provides testing and treatment for STI/ HVI including PrEP and health maintenance and contraception.

Chena Health is located in Fairbanks

Age limits on services are not specified.

 

 

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About the author, Gayle M. Frankenbach, Ph.D. is the mother of a Daughter, Lise and a transgender son Elliott.  Elliott and Gayle both passionately desire to care about and care for the trans community.  Elliott and Gayle also both love the unbound creativity of the cosplay community.  When we realized there is a big overlap between the two communities B.UR.SLF, LLC was born at the interface of these two great communities to serve them individually and together.  Elliott and Gayle also enjoy running a trans son & parent business to be visible for parents on a journey to visibly support their own trans kids and be a great allies.