Gender-Affirming Care
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center provides medical care and gender supportive services that are sensitive to the needs of people on the gender diverse spectrum.
GLFHC is committed to providing affirming care of the highest quality, regardless of gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic status.
GLFHC’s Gender-Affirming Care program helps to ensure access to high-quality, informed care for trans women, trans men, gender nonconforming individuals, non-binary individuals, affirmed men and women, people with trans histories, and anyone with health needs unique to their diverse gender expressions and identities. Patients have access to physicians who are WPATH SOC8 certified in gender-affirming care as well as many primary care clinicians with advanced expertise in supporting gender diverse health. Our program includes support for medical care, pharmacy / medication care (with a dedicated clinical pharmacist) and support for notarization of name and gender marker change documents. Our clinic has close working relationships with different gender surgery groups in Massachusetts and can coordinate surgical referrals as needed.
Goals of the Gender-Affirming Care program
- Provide gender-affirming, comprehensive health care for all gender diverse patients
- Transform the way gender diverse people receive care and lead the way in eliminating barriers to achieving maximum health and wellbeing
- Collaborate with other clinics and organizations serving gender diverse communities
- Provide high quality training and education to mental health and medical professionals
Gender Support Services
Medical care:
- Comprehensive Gender-Focused Primary Care (including customized approaches to cancer screenings)
- Gender-affirming hormone administration & monitoring (all currently available formulations including Testopel) including customized regimen planning for patients desiring a nonbinary approach to hormonal transition
- Specialized care for adolescents and young people including puberty blockers
- Letters to Support Surgery
- Logistic and notary support for name and gender marker change documentation
- Reproductive Counseling (including pregnancy care)
- Post-Surgical Follow-up Care
- HIV & STD Testing, Prevention & Counseling (including PrEP, PEP, and doxyPEP)
- Specialized HIV Medical Care for patients living with HIV
- Pharmacy services (including a dedicated clinical pharmacist focused on gender-affirming hormone therapy)
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services
- Comprehensive care from Family Doctors and Addiction Medicine specialists for all substance use disorders
- Office-based Addiction Treatment (OBAT), also known as Suboxone® program
- Substance Use Counseling/Support Groups and Peer Recovery Coaches
What is Gender Affirming Care?
Gender-affirming care is life-saving healthcare for transgender and gender-diverse people of all ages. It is not a single category of services but instead is a range of services, including mental health care, medical care, and social services. Gender-affirming care is always delivered in age-appropriate, evidence-based ways, and decisions to provide care are made in consultation with doctors and parents. (from Get the Facts on Gender-Affirming Care, Human Rights Campaign Foundation)