07 Apr Healthcare Resources and HRT for trans people in Mississippi and Missouri
Hi Everyone,
This has become a very challenging time for almost all Americans and especially for the LGBTQ+ community. While we work to meet these challenges and support each other it is import to make sure we take care of our own health. We are updating our #WellnessWednesday posts to document sites that are still compassionately offering Gender-affirming health services. We are doing this work by states in alphabetical order.
Many resources are, to their credit, creating comfortable places for routine and proactive health maintenance as well as 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 summarizing the legal picture and health care resources for Mississippi and Missouri.
But first…..
Due to political pressure in southern states some healthcare sites are shutting down access to healthcare for transgender and LGBTQIA+ people. We recommend checking the Trans in the South Guideline below as you start your healthcare journey
Trans in the South an Online Guide to Resources and Services (Website – Trans in the South Guide Book – CSE Trans in the South, FB – Campaign for Southern Equality IG – @SouthernEquality)
The Campaign for Southern Equality put together a Guide Book for resources and services including health care in southern states. Click the Guide Book link about and scroll to p 31 for a few resources on primary care and HIV/STD screening and treatment for trans people. There were no additional resources listing hormone replacement or other trans specific health care other than those listed above.
Payment Options: Check with individual providers.
Check with providers for locations.
Check with providers for payment options, locations and age limitations on Services.
Mississippi
It is sad to see that lawmakers in Mississippi are taking an ignorant and arguably hostile approach to regulating the lives of transgender people, especially youth and children. Mississippi was early in their approach to targeting the LGBTQAI+ community getting bans passed as early as 2023.
- In February 2023, Mississippi banned healthcare professionals from providing gender-affirming care to minors, including surgery and hormone therapy.
- This law, known as the Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedures Act, also prohibits public funds (state or federal) from being used to provide gender-affirming care to minors directly or indirectly, including through state or local government facilities or providers employed by such facilities.
- Doctors providing this care face license revocation or other penalties.
Further Mississippi lawmakers are taking a regressive approach to the breath of human experience in their lawmaking. A no doubt willfully ignorant approach aimed at consolidating their own power rather than protecting the populace. This mindset is observed in attempts to construct and pass bills to define sex as “man” or “woman” at birth, potentially impacting legal recognition for transgender individuals. While one such bill reportedly died, other proposed legislation also aims to define sex based on reproductive capacity and block bathroom access for transgender individuals in public facilities.
The transgender healthcare picture for Mississippi is so dismal, it
Open Arms Health Care Center (Website – Open Arms Health Care Center, FB – Open Arms Health, IG – @openarmshealth)
The Open Arms Health Care Center, in the His Health offers primary care, preventative care, sexual and reproductive health care, including STD/HIV testing, prevention and treatment. PrEP is available. Many other services are available and Open Arms Health Care Center specifically mentions services for transgender individual, but no obvious options for hormone therapy or other services for gender transition.
Open Arms Health Care Center accepts most insurance & sliding discounts.
Open Arms Health Care Centers are in Jackson and Hattiesburg
No obvious age limits, but services appear to be oriented to adults.
University of Mississippi Medical Center (Website – UMMC Your Health, FB – University of Mississippi Medical Center, IG – @ummcnews)
The TEAM Clinic (which stands for Trustworthy, Evidence-based, Affirming and Multidisciplinary) USED TO provide holistic and patient-centered health care for the LGBTQ community. The University limited healthcare for transgender youth and children because lawmakers complained. Then the university took the cowardly decision to cut off healthcare for the whole LGBTQIA+ community due to political pressure. Make sure your lawmakers and university institution know don’t support these actions. The University of Mississippi Medical Center dissolved the LGBTQ+ clinic that came under lawmakers’ scrutiny last fall because it offered gender-affirming care like hormone therapy and puberty blockers to transgender minors
Payment Options: UMMC HealthCare accepts many insurance plans.
TEAM Clinic was closed down.
Team clinic accepts adult and pediatric patients, check with the provider for age limitations on services.
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Mississippi We no longer recommend VA Healthcare and Clinics as a safe space for LGBTQ people to receive healthcare.
Missouri
The legal situation in Missouri is not supportive to transgender youth and children. In Missouri, gender-affirming care for minors is significantly restricted. A law passed in 2023, known as the SAFE Act, bans medical procedures like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for individuals under 18 seeking to treat gender dysphoria. This law also penalizes healthcare professionals who provide such care to minors, with potential loss of their medical licenses. While the law has been upheld in court, lawsuits challenging the ban are ongoing. For adults, Missouri is an informed consent state for hormone replacement therapy (HRT), meaning individuals over 18 can potentially start HRT without a letter of support from a therapist.
University of Kansas Truman/ Lakewood Medical Centers (Website – LGBTQ Care, FB – universityhealthkc , IG – @university_health_kc found)
LGBTQ Patient-Centered Care provides a list of LGBTQ Sensitive Providers. Primary care and endocrinologists are mentions so assuming hormone therapy and basic medical services are available.
Payment Options: check with providers for payment options, locations and any age limitations for services.
Since the service is affiliated with University of Kansas, it is assumed services are in the Kansas City area.
Services appear to be for adults, but check with providers for age limits on services.
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 Missouri link for Plume Clinic online services.
Payment Options: Plume accepts self-pay in Alaska for their monthly membership plans.
Patients must be 19 years of age to get services from Plume
KC Care Health Center (Website –Transgender Clinic, FB – KC Care Midtown IG – @kccarehealthcenter)
The Transgender Clinic is here to provide gender-confirming hormone therapy and connect patients with resources for primary care, gender affirming surgeries, contraceptive resources and hysterectomies.
Payment Options: KC Care accepts insurance and medicare and has financial options for people who are uninsured/ don’t have medicare/medicaid. Check the link paying for your care for more information.
The Transgender Clinic has four locations in Kansas City, check the website for places and times.
Age limits are not stated, but assume these services are for 18+ and check with the providers for age limitations on services.
Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis (Website – Washington University Transgender Center, FB –WashUMedicinePhys, IG – @washuphysicians)
Services at Washington University Transgender Center include hormone therapy, primary care and surgery.
Payment Options: Washington University Physicians accept many insurance plans and while there are no obvious financial aid options, the Washington School of Medicine is also affiliated with BJC Health Care so check with the provider to see if that (or other) financial assistance programs are available.
The Washington University Transgender Center is in St. Louis.
The Washington University Transgender Center is for patients +21 years old. Younger patients are served at The Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hosp.
Children’s Mercy (Website – Gender Pathway Services FB – Children’s Mercy, IG – @childrensmercy)
Children’s Mercy used to have this program for gender variant children, but the legal situation in Missouri is raising significant barriers to transgender youth and children getting the care they need.
Payment Options: Check with the health care provider.
Children’s Hospital of St. Louis (Website – Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, FB – Children’s Hospital St. Louis IG – @sltchildrens)
No information currently appears on their website. No doubt services are limited due to barriers raised by lawmakers.
Children’s Hospital of St. Louis is affiliated with Barnes-Jewish, Inc Health Care and their financial assistance program BJC Health Care and Financial Assistance.
Payment Options: Children’s Hospital of St. Louis has financial assistance options if needed, click the link pay my bill for more information.
Planned Parenthood in Missouri has (10) Health Centers which are part of (2) organizations, Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains (PPGP) and Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri (PPSTLSWMO) (Websites – PPGP and PPSTLSWMO, FB – PPGreatPlains and PPCentral-WestEnd StLouis, IG – @ppgreatplains and @plannedparethood_slt_swmo)
PPGP in Missouri offers Hormone Therapy for Transgender Patients at (3) of the Missouri Health Centers. The PPGP Missouri Health Centers that offer Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy are in Columbia, Gladstone and Independence. There is also the Patty Brous Health Care Center in Kansas City which does not offer Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy, but does offer many of the other important services that can be found at Planned Parenthood including sexual/ reproductive health, men’s & women’s health.
PPSLRSWM has (6) Health Centers in Missouri. While none of these health centers offers HRT these do offer other important services to LGBTQ patients like sexual/ reproductive health and men’s & women’s health. The PPSLRSWM Health Centers are located in St. Louis (West End), St. Louis, St Peters, Florissant, Springfield, and Manchester.
Payment Options: Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check on the websites and with the center for details.
For locations, see above. If you are not located near any of the Health Center sites in Missouri that offer HRT, they may offer this service via telehealth. Call one of the sites that offers HRT to see if you can arrange for telehealth appointments for HRT.
The service is intended for adults 18+, but some PP Health Centers offer service to patients 16 to 17 andyou may be able to get HRT with parental consent and additional paperwork, check with the Health Center.
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Missouri We no longer recommend VA Health Care and Clinics as safe spaces for LGBTQ care.
Parkcrest Plastic Surgery (Wesbsite – Gender Affirming Surgery in St. Louis FB – Parkcrest Plastic Surgery Inc., IG – @parkcrestplasticsurgeryinc/)
Parkcrest Plastic surgery offers top surgery for transmasculine and transfeminine patients.
Payment Options: financing is available.
Parkcrest Plastic Surgery is in St. Louis
No Age limitations are stated, but the service appears to be for adults.
The Transgender Institute (Website – Transgender Institute, FB – Transgender Institute , IG – @transgenderinstitute)
The Transgender Institute does not offer medical services, but their list of coaching and mentoring services is extensive, so they are included for consideration. They are affiliated with a gender affirming surgery group.
Payment Options: Check with the provider for payment options.
The Transgenders Institute is in Kansas City.
Contact the institute for age limits on different services.
Transgender Health Network Mid-Missouri Trans Providers List (Wesbsite – Trans Healthcare Provider List FB – Transgender Health Network, IG – none found)
Transgender Health Network (T-Net) is a group of healthcare providers in Mid-Missouri committed to improving healthcare for transgender and gender expansive individuals.
Check the individual providers for location, payment options and age limitations.
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.