Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Ohio

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 important to make sure we take care of our own health.  We are updating our #WellnessWednesday posts to reflect sites that are still compassionately offering Transhealth services.

We will start this series of posts with Ohio and from there we’ll post states alphabetically unless we receive an email request to move a state forward.

There are quite a few resources in our home state of Ohio, it is wrong that HB 68 gets in the way of families making appropriate healthcare decisions for their children, we are trying to find out what is still available for minors.  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 covering resources in Ohio.  In light of  HB 68 banning gender affirming care for minors, we are trying to find out what services are still available by contacting individual sites.

Ohio

Equitas Health (Website – Trans and Non-Binary Health, FB – Equitas Health , IG – @equitas.health)

We think very, very highly of Equitas Health.  One of us uses Equitas for gender confirmation medication and Equitas very dilligently found the lowest cost source for a hormone perscription for T.  The staff are very friendly and compassionate.

Trans and Non-Binary Health provides the following services, hormone therapy, primary care including annuals, STI testing and treatment, HIV specialty care, screening for cervical cancer, immunizaitons such as HPV, HIHep A & B, dental health, health care and legal clinics for name changes are also available.

Payment Opitons:  Equitas accepts many insurance plans and offers a sliding fee scale to patients who qualify, use the application in the link to apply. 

Equitas Health is growing and now offers healthcare in 21 locations in 11 Ohio cities (click the link for locations details and phone#), including Akron (HC/ Pharma), Athens, Canton, Cincinnati (HC/ Pharma), Columbus (5 HC & clinic/ 2 Pharma) Daton (HC & clinic/Pharma), Lima, Manfield, Portsmouth, Toledo, and Youngtown  Equitas also has a Mobile Outreach Vehicle and also telehealth  click the links for details.

Age limits for services are not obvious, but appear to be oriented adults, but call with any quesitons on age limitations.  

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (Website – Transgender Primary Care Clinic, FB – The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center , IG – @osuwexmed)

Transgender Primary Care Clinic includes – hormone therapy, primary care, HIV/STI testing and treatment including PEP and PrEP, referrals for gender affirming surgery, and cancer screenings.

Payment Options:  The patient and visitor guide page has links to insurance accepted and financial assistance options for patients who qualify. 

The Transgender Primary Care Clinics are located in Columbus and available every Wednesday at Ohio State Outpatient Care East and every Friday at Ohio State Primary Care Westerville. Ohio State also provides Telehealth, it is not clear whether transgender patients can be served by telehealt, so please call and check.

Age limits for services are not obvious, the services appear to be oriented adults, but call with any quesitons on age limitations. 

Cleveland Clinic (Website – LGBT Health, FB – Cleveland Clinic, and LGBT Youth, IG – @ClevelandClinic)

The Transgender Clinic at LGBT Health offers hormone therapy, primary care, gynecological care and referrals for gender-affirming surgery.  Services for LGBT Youth are not as clear, call the clinic for details.

The Billing, Insurance & Payments page has links to insurance accepted and financial assistance for qualified patients

The Cleveland Clinic is located in Cleveland and many locations in Ohio, click the link for more information.

The Clinic has separate services for adults  at LBGT Health and LGBT Youth.  However HB 68 may be interfering with LGBT Youth services.    

The MetroHealth System (Website –LGBTQI+ Pride Network Transgender Health Services and KIDs Pride, FB – The MetroHealth System , IG – @metrohealthcle)

The MetroHealth System has programs for both adults -Transgender Health Services.  Services for children & teens prior to HB 68 were offered through.  The website is still active, we are trying to find out what is truly available – KIDsPride.

Transgender Health Services offers hormone therapy 

KIDs Pride organizes a team to work with children, teens and their families to help navigate gender identity and make a determination on when the child/teen can receive hormone therapy, if needed.  Gender affirming care was available prior to HB 68, we are checking to understand the current situation

LGBTQI+ Pride Network also offers the following services to 18+  primary care, HIV prevention – PEP and PrEP, OB-GYN, and various wellness services.  LGBTQI+ Pride Network also offers Pediatric Gender Services for patients under 18, call them for available services 216-778-8564. 

Payment Options: The MetroHealth System accepts many insurance plans  and has financial assistance for qualifying patients, click links for more information.

The MetroHealth System has numerous locations in northern Ohio, click the link for more information.

The MetroHealth System accepts children, adolescents and adults, contact the provider for more information about age limitations on services, especially for minors in light of HB 68.  

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (Website –Adolescent and Transition Medicine Transgender Health Clinic, FB – Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center , IG –  @cincychildrens)

Prior to HB 68, the following was available we are working to understand the current situation -the  Adolescent and Transition Medicine  team will do a medical and psychological interview and then work with the client to create a treatment plane together with the appropriate referrals.  Treatment plans may include, hormone therapy, gender confirmation surgery, menstrual suppression, birth control and speech or language pathology therapy.

Payment Optons:  Cincinnati Childrens accepts many insurance plans and In addition to works with eligible family to get financial assistance.

The Adolescent and Transition Medicine Transgender Health Clinic is located in Cincinnati.

The Adolescent and Transition Medicine Transgender Health Clinic was designed to work with patients from ages 5 -24 years. 

Planned Parenthood of Ohio is part of (1) organization Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio (PPGOH) which has (15) Health Centers and (1) Surgery Center (Website –PPGOH, FB – Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio , IG – @PPGOH)

Planned Parenthood of the PPGOH offers gender-confirming care including HRT in all Health Centers. Planned parenthood also has a wide range of many services available to all people including primary care, HIV, SIT testing, counseling, and treatment PEP and PrEP, contraception,and gynecological care including PAP smears.  Click the link named services for information on all services offered.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohios has many locations around the state including (16) Health Centers in Akron, Athens, Bedford Heights, Caton, Cleveland, (3) Columbus, Kent, Lorain, Mansfield, Cleveland, Rocky River, Toledo, Warren and Youngstown and the (1) Surgery Centers in Bedford Heights. Click the locations link above for more information.

Payment Options:  Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check on the websites and with the center for details.

The service is intended for adults 18+, but the many 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.

We are no longer recommending VA clinics as a site for gender affirming care.  It seems clear that the VA will not serve people with a new gender dysmorphia diagnosis.  If you are currently getting hormone therapy at the VA and are comfortable to continue that is great, but we would recommend that those new to gender confirming services choose from other options above – especially Equitas has sites all over Ohio

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.