18 Jan Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Arizona and Arkansas
Hi Everyone,
You know that we want you to be healthy and safe. To help you with your health care we created a state-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.
President Trump has negatively targeted healthcare for transgender children and youth by signing an executive order preventing federal funds from being distributed to institutions that provide gender-affirming medical care to persons younger than 19 years old. This has caused some organizations to withdraw medical care for transgender youth although they may try to provide support in other ways.
Planned Parenthood continues to offer gender-affirming HRT to persons 18+ and puberty blockers to children and youth.
Arizona Children’s Hospital and El Rio have pulled back on transgender care but other organizations are stepping up.
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 Arizona and Arkansas.
Arizona
Prisma Community Care (Formerly Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS). (Website – Prisma Community Care, FB – Prisma Community Care, IG – @prismascommunitycare)
Prisma Community Care offers gender-affirming care including hormone therapy (patients 19+), gender-affirming primary care, surgical referrals and social support like help with name changes, etc. (see the gender-affirming care community resource guide on their site) and mental-health services tailored to the transgender individual. Prisma Community Care also offers sexual health care with testing and prevention for STIs and HIV including PreP and PEP.
Prisma Community Care is located in Phoenix, AZ
Payment Options: Options are not specified on the website.
Prisma Community Care offers gender-affirming hormone therapy to patients age 19+ years. old
Desert Star Institute for Family Planning (Website – Desert Star, FB – Desert Star Institute for Family Planning, IG – @desertstarfp)
Desert Star offers gender-affirming care including gender-affirming hormone therapy and a variety of other services like primary care and with testing for STIs birth control and abortion.
Desert Star Institute for Family Planning is located in Phoenix, AZ
Payment Options: Options are not specified on the website.
Prisma Community Care doesn’t specify age restrictions, call the office to find out.
Spectrum Medical (Website – Spectrum Medical, FB – Spectrum Medical, IG – @spectrummedicalcare)
Spectrum Medical offers gender-affirming care including hormone therapy, gender-affirming primary care, surgical referrals and sexual health care with testing and prevention for STIs and HIV including PreP and PEP and behavioral health services
Spectrum Medical is located in Phoenix, AZ
Payment Options: Options are not specified on the website.
Spectrum health does not specify age restrictions on services, call the office to inquire.
University of Arizona Campus Health Care Service (Website – LGBTQ+ Health, FB – UAZ Campus Health Service, IG – @UACampusHealth)
University campuses are starting to offer an interesting variety of services to LGBTQ+ students including transgender, gender queer, gender non-conforming and non-binary students. University of Arizona is providing a LOT of interesting services. All students who identify as trans, gender non-conforming, genderqueer and non-binary identities will be welcomed and supported.
Services include consultation, initiation and continuation of HRT, letters of support and referral for surgical transition, and general wellness. General wellness and annual exams are offered and includes at-birth bodies, and bodies in any stage of medical transition. They also offer sexual health services with STI/ HVI testing and treatment including PrEP and PEP, birth control, and safer sex tools and information. Trans support services & treatment ensure medical and mental health staff collaborate for a continuity of gender confirming healthcare and direct communication between your treatment team members.
UA campus health has other unique and interesting benefits including a gender reassignment benefit through student health insurance. UA also offers speech feminization. Check these previous links and the website above for all of the health care information and for the gender reassignment benefit at UA.
Payment Options: Check the payment & billing link and student health insurance above for futher information.
University of Arizona is located in Tuscon
UA students are accepted in these programs check the UA website for student eligibility.
CODAC Health Recover and Wellness (Website –CODAC Health Recovery Wellness, FB – CODAC Health Recovery Wellness, IG – @CODACTuscon)
Medical services are primarily referrals. CODAC’s focus is on recovery and behavioral health for the community including LGBTQI perople. They provide Primary Care and Wellness. They also refer transgender people to other providers for gender-affirming hormone therapy and other transgender medicine services
CODAC is located in Tuscon.
Planned Parenthood of Arizona, Inc. (Website – PP Arizona, Inc., FB – Planned Parenthood, IG – @pparizona)
PP of Arizona offers gender-affirming hormone therapy, primary care, sexual health care with testing and prevention for STIs and HIV including PreP and PEP, and birth control.
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 location links for insurance and other payment options and contact PP for details.
PP of Arizona has (7) health care locations in Flagstaff, Glendale, Mesa Central Phoenix, Phoenix – Desert Sky, Tempe and Tuscon
Planned Parenthood generally offers HRT to patients 18+
We’re sorry to report that following President Trump’s executive order of Jan. 28, 2025 denying federal funds to any entity providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth under 19 years old, El Rio has placed transgender healthcare for adults, youth and children on hold pending further clarification of federal guidelines. All references to transgender health have been scrubbed from the website as have references to gender health around the clinic. El Rio asserts they will still provide general healthcare in a respectful and non-discriminatory fashion.
El Rio Health (Website – El Rio Health El Rio Health Transgender Medicine, FB – El Rio Community Health Center, IG – @elriohealth)
El Rio offers primary care including preventative, chronic, and acute services. Sexual and reproductive health care is available, including routine and cancer screenings. El Rio also offers dental care.
Payment Options: El Rio accepts most insurance and offers a sliding scale for the uninsured.
El Rio has multiple locations in Tuscon and Telehealth.
El Rio accepts adult, adolescence and pediatric patients into their general healthcare programs above
Arkansas
Arkansas Children’s Gender Spectrum Clinic Website (Gender Spectrum Clinic), FB – Arkansas Children’s , IG – @archildrens).
Arizona Children’s stopped gender-affirming hormone therapy for children in Feb. 2022
Gender Spectrum Clinic provides gender affirmative health care for youth. An interdisciplinary team creates and individualized treatment plan in collaboration with patients, parents/guardians, mental health therapy providers and schools to ensure the best possible health care outcomes.
Sevices include treatment for dysphoria, and referrals to additional speacialists.
Payment Options: Many managed insurance plans are accepted. Financial assistance and online assistance applying for SNAP are both available, check the website for details.
The Gender Spectrum clinic is located in Little Rock.
The program serves children and adolescents.
Planned Parenthood Great Plains (Website – Little Rock in Aldersgate, FB – ppgplittlerock, IG – @plannedparethood) Offers hormone replacement therapy (generally for patients 18+) and puberty blockers for youth, at the Little Rock Aldersgate Road Health Center in Little Rock and HRT is also offered via Telehealth, so it is accessible to all of Arkansas. This service is not listed on their website, but was confirmed by phone with the Health Center. Use the link above to set up physical or virtual appointments and get additional Health Center information. The Little Rock Aldersgate Health Center is part of the Planned Parenthood Great Plains organization.
The ArkansasTimes reported on 12 April 2020 that “patients in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and the Kansas City metro area will be able to access care through the telehealth program at PPGP.”
Payment Options: Payment options are given on the website. Contact the site for help if you do not have insurance or medicaid.
PP at Aldersgate is in Little Rock and HRT is also offered to the entire state of Arkansas by Telehealth.
Planned Parenthood generally offers HRT to patients 18+, but call telehealth to check. Some PP sites offer HRT to patients aged <18 with parental consent.
Arkansas Transgender Equality Coalition (ARTEC) Website – Medical Options for Transgender People, FB – none, IG – )
Akansas online community and resources for transgender and non-binary people. Search online for resources for physical health, mental health and HIV & AIDS resources in NW Arkansas.
Payment Options: check with individual providers for payment details.
Resources are located in NW Arizona, check individual providers for exact locations.
Check individual providers for ages of patients accepted.
We no longer recommend VA Health as a safe space for transgender people to receive healthcare.
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.