30 Jun Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Texas
Hi Everyone,
You know that we want you to be healthy and safe. 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 document sites that are still compassionately offering Transhealth services. We are doing this work by states in alphabetical order.
To help you with your health care journey we are creating a list, by state, of health care organizations that serve the transgender, nonbinary, gender queer and non-conforming community. While we are creating this site for you, we are also doing this weekly post on health care. While it’s nice to have a list, in these posts we can also give you a few details on what each of the organizations we post actually do. We’ll just go through the states alphabetically, unless you send us a note and request a particular state and we’ll move requests to the top of the list.
This week we are covering Texas which has a large number of resources. 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.
Texas
Unfortunately Texas has a governor who feels entitled to impinge on personal freedoms as a means of grandstanding for some voters. He is participating in creating a hostile climate in Texas. A state law (SB 14) that went into effect on September 1, 2023, bans doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, to transgender minors. The Texas Supreme Court upheld this ban in June 2024. In 2022, Governor Greg Abbott issued a directive to the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate reports of parents providing such care as potential child abuse, a move which has faced legal challenges but prompted some families to leave the state. The ban primarily targets medical interventions, but related legislation affects mental health counseling. House Bill 18 bans minors from accessing resources for gender-affirming mental health counseling inconsistent with their biological sex through a specific rural health care program.
Prism Health North Texas (Website – LGBTQIA Care, FB – Prism Health North Texas, IG – @prismhealthntx)
Prism Health offers a variety of care to the LBGTQIA community including hormone care, primary care, sexual health such as STI/HIV testing and treatment including PrEP and other services. Although the site does not explicitly refer to hormone care as gender-affirming hormone care so call the clinic to confirm
Payment Options: Most insurance plans are accepted and financial assistance is available, click payment options for more information.
Prism Health has several locations in Dallas
Age limitations are not obvious, but services appear to be oriented to adults check with the provider for age limitations on services.
Braeswood Endocrinology (Website – Transgender Medicine, FB – Braeswood Endocrinology, IG – @braeswoodendo)
One of Dr. Zwiener’s specialties at Braeswood is Transgender Medicine including gender-affirming HRT.
Payment Options: Dr. Zweiner offers a membership plan, which is suggested to keep medical costs predictable and affordable. Lab fees are low. Check the link for details on the membership program.
Braeswood Endocrinology is located in Bellaire.
Age limitations are not obvious, but services appear to be oriented to adults check with the provider for age limitations on services.
Plume
Southwest Family Medicine (Website – Transgender Care, FB – Southwest Family Medicine Associates, IG – @southwestfamilymedicine)
Southwest Family Medicine is not explicit on their website about the services offered within transgender care. Call the associates to find out if they still offer the following. gender-affirming HRT, primary care, transgender health care, sexual health services including HIV testing and treatment and including PrEP, wellness screenings (breast/chest, cervical screening for trans men).
Payment Options: Most insurance plans and cash payments are accepted, click the links for more information. There are no obvious options for financial aid.
Transgender Care at Southwest Family Medicine is located in Dallas
Transgender Care is offered to adolescents and adults.
Resource Center, Gender Affirming Services (Website – Gender Affirming Primary Care, Nelson-Tebedo Clinic Transgender Services, FB – Resource Center, and Nelson-Tebedo, IG – @myresourcectr and @nelson_tebedo).
Resource Center is a community center for the LGBTQ community with a focus on helping groups affected by AIDS. The Center has gender-affirming services like gender-affirming HRT and STI/HIV testing and treatment including PrEP. The Center offers a wide range of health and wellness services, dental care, behavior care and support groups.
The Resource Center page also points to Nelson-Tebedo Clinic as a source for low cost HRT and HIV/STI testing.
The Resource Center mission is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities and all people affected by HIV through improving health and wellness, strengthening families and communities and providing transformative education and advocacy.
Payment Options: The Resource Center accepts major insurance and self-pay, no obvious financial assistance options, but the Center does point to Nelson-Tebedo Clinic as a low cost option.
Both the Resource Center and Nelson-Tebedo are located in Dallas.
At The Resource Center Age limitations are not obvious, but services health services are for 18+, but there are support group and behavioral services for younger people. Nelson-Tebedo serves 18+.
Legacy Community Health (Website –Transgender Specialty Care, FB – Legacy Community Health, IG – @legacycommunityhealth)
Legacy Community Health provides gender-affirming HRT, puberty blockers, STD testing, well person exams, pap smears and vaccines.
Payment Options: Legacy Community Health believes that comprehensive health care is a human right. That’s why Legacy’s services and programs are open to all who need us, regardless of the ability to pay, without judgment or exception (from their website). LCH accepts the uninsured and will help you find financial assistance for medical care. LCH also has a sliding fee scale. For more information, click on payment options.
Legacy community health has many locations in Houston, Beaumont and surrounding areas.
Legacy Community Health serves pediatric to geriatric patients, for age limitations on specific services check with LCH
Kind Clinic (Website – Gender Affirming Care, FB – Kind Clinic, IG – @kindclinic)
Kind Clinic offers gender-affirming HRT and other sexual health wellness services including HIV Testing, STI Testing and Treatment with PrEP and PEP Access and HIV Positive Care.
Payment Options: There are no costs for medical visits or labs for hormone therapy. There maybe be costs associated with getting hormones. If you have financial barriers to getting your hormones, Kind Clinic may be able to help if you qualify for financial assistance, see the website for more information.
There are several Kind Clinics in Austin and San Antonio, click the locations tab at the top of page on the website. Telemedicine is also available as virtual visits.
HRT is available to patients as young as 14. Patients 14 & 15 need a referral letter from a pediatric physician.
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 Texas 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
Children’s Health Gender-affirming care for people less than 18 is currently illegal in Texas. Children’s Health can no longer offer gender-affirming care
Hector Granados, MD PA (Website – Dr Granados FB – granadosmd, IG – None Found)
Hector Granados is a Pediatric Endocrinologist who previously ran a Gender Identity Clinic as part of his practice. However, since transgender care for people less than 18 years of age is currently illegal in Texas, this service is no longer available.
University of Houston
The University of Houston link to transgender health is no longer active. Since August 2023, they closed their Center for Diversity and Inclusion and The LGBTQ Resource Center and scrubbed statements about DEI from their website. You may want to consider choosing a university that supports you as a human being.
University of North Texas, Student Health and Wellness Center FB – UNT Student Health and Wellness Center, IG – @untshwc)
University of North Texas removed the link from their website dedicated to Transgender Health. In the past UNT student health would provide continuance of gender-affirming HRT to students once this was initiated by your primary physician or hormone specialist. It is not clear if this service is still available. Contact UNT Student Health for current details.
Texas State, Student Health Center (Website – LGBTQIA+ Health FB – Texas State Student Health Center, IG – None Found)
Texas State used to offer gender affirming HRT through LGBTQIA+ Health, but they have killed there website link to LBTQIA+ Health. Call Texas State for current details on gender-affirming hormone therapy. Texas State Student Health still offers primary care, preventive care, and sexual health screenings including Pap smears, breast and testicular exams, sexually transmitted infection (STI) screenings.
Payment Options: The student health insurance plan through United Healthcare should cover all services and once the medical necessity for gender-affirming surgery is established, that should be covered too.
There are two Student Health Centers in San Marcos and one in Round Rock.
Services are for Texas State students.
Planned Parenthood of Texas is part of (2) Planned Parenthood organizations Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, Inc. (PPGT) and Planned Parenthood South Texas (PPST) and has (29) Health Centers (Websites – PPGT and PPST FB – Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and Planned Parenthood of South Texas IG – @ppgreatertx and @ppsouthtexas.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas, inc. (PPGT) has (15) Healthcare Centers, Transgender Health Care, including Gender-affirming HRT and Telemedicine for some services. All of the Healthcare Centers offer HRT and other services. The (15) healthcare centers are in the following locations, Addison, Arlington, Austin (South), Austin (Downtown), Bedford. Cedar Hill, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Southeast Fort Worth, Southwest Forth Worth, Mesquite, Paris, Plano. If you are not physically close to one of these sites, check with their telehealth service to see if they can arrange to offer HRT remotely or call Planned Parenthood South Texas Telehealth.
PPGT will also manage the Health Care sites that remain open from the organization of Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast (PPGC) which has closed down and closed the Southwest and Prevention P ark Health Care Centers. The Healthcare Centers that appear to still be open include Northville and Houston (Northville Health Center), Tyler and Waco. The remaining locations are in Prevention Park Health Center in Houston, Southwest Health Center in Houston, Northwest Health Center in Houston, Spring Health Center in Spring, and Stafford Health Center in Stafford and all sites offer important services for all patients. Some of these sites offer Trans Health Care, including Gender-affirming HRT check websites or call for details to determine which sites offer GAHT. Telehealth maybe offered for some services, including GAHT if you are not physically close enough to a site that offers GAHT, click the Telehealth link for details.
Planned Parenthood South Texas (PPST) has (6) Healthcare Centers, Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy, and Telehealth for HRT and other services. The health centers are located in Brownsville, Harlingen, San Antonio (Marbach), San Antonio (San Pedro), San Antonio (Southeast), San Antonio (Northeast). If you are not close enough to any of these options, you can use Telehealth for gender-affirming HRT.
Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Inc. (PPGC) has closed due to lack of funding. The Southwest Health Center and the Prevention Park Health Centers both closed down. The sites that remain open will be manage by PPGT.
Payment Options: Many PP Health Centers accept insurance and offer financial help, check on the websites and with the center for details.
Planned Parenthood serves teens and adults. HRT is provided to adults 18+, but the many PP Health Centers offer service to patients 16 to 17 and you may be able to get HRT with parental consent and additional paperwork, check with the Health Center about HRT and with any quesitons on age limitations for services.
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Texas We no longer recommend VA Healthcare and Clinics as a safe space for LGBTQ people to get healthcare.
Amirlak Plastic Surgery (Website – Transgender Surgery FB – Bardia Amirlak (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), IG – @dramirlak)
Dr. Amirlak offers MTF and FTM chest surgery and facial masculization or feminization.
Payment Options: Amirlak Plastic Surgery accepts all major insurance. There are no options for financial aid, but the office suggests that there are companies that offer financing for plastic surgery.
Amirlak Plastic Surgery is located in Dallas.
Services can be offered to adolescents (in collaboration with Children’s hospitals) and adults. Check with Dr. Amirlak’s office for age limitations on services.
Crane Center (Website – Crane Center for Transgender Surgery FB – Crane Center for Transgender Surgery, IG – @cranects)
The Crane Center for Transgender Surgery offers over 10 procedures for non-binary, MTF and FTM surgeries, including multiple options for top surgeries, bottom surgeries and facial surgeries including all the more common surgeries as well as less common options like metoidiodioplasty, phalloplasty, vulvoplasty, genital nullification, nipple removal.
Payment Options: The Crane Center is experienced working with major insurance companies to bill for transgender surgery. No financial aid options are obvious.
The Crane Center has locations in Austin and San Francisco.
Age limitations are not stated, but appear to be for adults, contact The Crane Center with any questions about age limitations.
The American Institute for Plastic Surgery (Website – The International Center for Transgender Care FB – The American Institute for Plastic Surgery, IG – #theamericaninstituteforplasticsurgery)
The International Center for Transgender Care offers MTF and FTM top surgeries and genital confirmation surgeries, body and facial masculizationa and feminization procedures, and many other procedures that may also be useful like hair removal.
Payment Options: The American Institute for Plastic Surgery accepts major insurance plans, but also suggests carefully reviewing your plan and getting a pre-authorization for some procedures to be sure the insurance company will pay for all or part of the procedures. The Institute also offers financing. No obvious financial aid options are available.
The American Institute for Plastic Surgery is in Plano.
Age limitations on procedures are not given, but the services appear to be for adults. Contact the institute with any questions on age limitations.
Two Online Resource Guides from the Campaign for Southern Equality and Out Youth (Websites – ,Campaign for Southern Equality and Out Youth FB – Southern Equality and Out Youth , IG – @southernequality and @outyouth.
Guides Trans in the South Resource Guide 2019 from Southern Equality and Transgender Wellness Resource Guide for Austin and Central Texas from Out Youth.
Check with individual providers in the resources guides for payment options, locations and age limitations for services.
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.