14 Jul Healthcare Resources and HRT for the Transgender Community in Virginia and West Virginia
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 Gender-affirming health services. We are doing this work by states in alphabetical order. This week we are summarizing the legal picture and health care resources for Virginia and West Virginia
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 Virginia and West Virginia
Virginia
Virginia law (Code § 38.2-3449.1) prohibits health insurance discrimination based on gender identity, requiring coverage for medically necessary transition-related care, including hormones and surgeries, if similar care is available to non-transgender patients; however, specific implementation details, especially for minors, are evolving, with some recent legislative efforts focusing on age restrictions for certain procedures, though federal protections also apply.
Health Brigade (Website – Trans Health @ Health Brigade, FB – Health Brigade, IG – @healthbrigade_rva)
Trans Health services include hormone therapy, primary care, HIV & STD testing & treatment, gynecological gealth.
Payment Options: Health Brigade provides health care to low income and uninsured people who demonstrate eligibility.
Trans Health at the Health Brigade is in Richmond.
Ages limitations are not obvious, but services appear to be oriented to adults, contact the provider for more information.
Carilion Clinic (Website – Gender Care, FB – Carilion Clinic, IG – @carilionclinic)
Carilion Clinic doesn’t provide any specifics on what services are offered in the Gender Care program, but does note the availability of the following: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Gynecologic Services, Breast Care, Endocrinology & Pediatric Endocrinology. Carilion Clinic notes that transgender men may need pelvic exams and Pap smears.
Payment Options: Carilion accepts most major insurance plans and also offers extended payment options and financial assistance.
Carilion Clinic is located in Roanoke.
Ages limitations are not obvious, but services appear to be oriented to adults, contact the provider for more information.
UVA Health (Websites – Transgender Health Services, FB – UVA Health, IG – @uvahealth)
Transgender Health Services offers comprehensive care including gender-affirming HRT, pubertal suppression (for adolescents), menstrual suppression, gender affirming surgery (top surgery, facial surgery, testicle removal), family medicine and other services.
Teen and Young Adult Transgender Clinic Due to evolving laws on providing gender-affirming care to youth, UVA has paused this program.
Payment Options: UVA Health accepts insurance from many carriers and offers financial assistance if you qualify.
UVA Health is located in Charlottesville.
Transgender Health Service is for Adults (except for pubertal suppression) and The Teen and Young Adult Clinic is for teens and young adults. Contact UVA Health for exact ages served by each program.
Children’s Hospital of Richmond @ VCU Although there is no state ban on Gender-Affirming Care for youth (<19 years old in Virginia) the evolving legal situation in the country has caused VCU to stop medically assisted gender-affirming care for youth.
University of Virginia, Dept. of Student Health (Website -see above, FB – University of Virginia, IG – @uva)
UVA, Dept. of Student Health offers to manage gender-affirming HRT and general and specific health issues for transgender students and sexual health is available to all students. Start with the student health care organization to navigate to gender-affirming care for students.
Payment Options: Most services for Student Health and Wellness at UVA are covered by comprehensive student fees see Student Charges and Billing.
Student Health and Wellness is located on the campus in Charlottesville.
Care for transgender students is for UVA students.
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 Virginia 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
True U Clinic (Website – Gender-Affirming Care, FB –True U Clinic, IG – True U Clinic).
True U Clinic offers gender-affirming hormone therapy, PrEP and STD testing and treatment.
Payment Options: click the pricing link for information.
True U Clinic is a digital service that partners with local labs for testing.
Services are for 18+ adults.
Planned Parenthood of Virginia is part of (2) Planned Parenthood organizations, Planned Parenthood of the South Atlantic organization (PPSA) and Virginia League for Planned Parenthood (VLPP) (Websites – PPSA and VLPP., FB –PPSouthAtlantic and VaLeague4PP, IG – #plannedparenthoodsouthatlantic and #virginialeagueforplannedparenthood)
Planned Parenthood of the South Atlantic organization – PPSA has (2) Health Care Centers in Virgina and Telehealth. All of the PPSA Healthcare Centers in Virginia in Charlotte and Roanoake offer gender-affirming HRT as well as many other services such as sexual/reproductive and women’s & men’s healthcare. Click the site links for all resources at these health centers.
Virginia League for Planned Parenthood – VLPP has (4) Health Centers in Virginia and the (3) health centers located in Richmond (East End), Richmond (Hamilton) and Virginia Beach offer Gender Affirming Healthcare including gender-affirming HRT. Some of the VLPP also offer Telehealth and Telehealth for LGBTQ services. All of the VLPP Healthcare Centers in Virginia, including the center in Hampton offer sexual/reproductive and women’s & men’s healthcare and many other service, visit the location websites for additional details. If you are not close to any of the locations that offer hormone replacement therapy, try calling the telehealth services at PPSA and VLPP, especially in Charlotte, Richmond, Hamilton and Virginia Beach.
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 18-19+, and you may be able to get HRT with parental consent and additional paperwork, check with the Health Center about HRT and with any questions on age limitations for services.
VA Health Care for LGBTQ Veterans in Virginia. We no longer recommend VA Health Care and Clinics as safe spaces for LGBTQ people.
There is Online Guides from the Transgender Health Alliance for Central Virginia (Websites – THACVA, FB – THACVA, IG – NONE FOUND)
Check with individual providers in the resources guides for payment options, locations and age limitations for services.
West Virginia
The picture for legal protection of gender-affirming care in West Virginia is far less positive than Virginia. Healthcare for transgender people in West Virginia is a complex and evolving landscape, marked by legal battles over insurance coverage for adults and significant legislative restrictions on care for minors.
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 West Virginia 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
Planned Parenthood of Virginia is part of (1) Planned Parenthood organization, Planned Parenthood of the South Atlantic organization (PPSA) with (1) health center (Websites – PPSA, FB –PPSouthAtlantic, IG – #plannedparenthoodsouthatlantic)
The PPSA health center in West Virginia is in Vienna and offers gender-affirming HRT as well as many other services such as sexual/reproductive and women’s & men’s healthcare. Click the site links for all resources at these health centers. Many of these services are available through Telehealth. The PPSA health center in West Virginia is located in Vienna and it offers HRT and sexual/reproductive and women’s & men’s healthcare.
If you are not close to the Vienna of the location, try calling telehealth to determine if you can get HRT remotely.
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 andyou 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 West Virginia . We no longer recommend VA Health Care and Clinics as a safe space for the LGBTQ community.
There is an Online Guide to providers of medical to the transgender community from Fairness West Virginia (Website – Transgender Health Guide a FB – Fairness West Virginia and IG – @fairnesswv)
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.