What is Gender Affirming Care (GAC)?
It is life-saving healthcare for transgender 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.
It is medically necessary for the well-being of many transgender and non-binary people who experience symptoms of gender dysphoria, or distress that results from having one’s gender identity not match their sex assigned at birth. It helps transgender and non-binary people live openly and authentically as their true selves. In essence, Gender Affirming Care is how transgender and nonbinary patients receive the same level of respect and dignity that you would show any other patient.
What if I have a staff member who is misgendering patients?
Staff members should be reminded that it is paramount to respect the pronouns and names of all patients in order to provide the best care possible. If you are comfortable doing so in the moment you may be able to remind the staff member of a patient’s pronouns or correct name, or you can bring it to your HR department. You may also consider scheduling a Rainbow 101 training with us.
My patient needs care I can’t provide. Who can I refer to?
- Annual wellness exams
- Cancer Screenings: breast/chest & cervical
- STI testing and treatment
- HIV testing
- Safer sex and risk-reduction education
- Birth control and options education
- Pregnancy care
- Gender affirming hormone therapy
- Mental health counseling
- Client advocacy
- Public and private insurance enrollment
- Healthcare navigation and goal-mapping
- Hormonal transition therapy & monitoring for trans people 16 years old & over
- Onsite self-injection lessons for hormone injections
- Referrals to specialty providers & community resources, including mental, behavioral, & medical providers
- Yearly wellness visits, preventive care, birth control & safer sex supplies, STD testing & treatment, and abortion for patients of any gender
- Estrogen and anti-androgen hormone therapy
- Testosterone hormone therapy
- Puberty blockers
- Surgery referrals
- Transition support (social, legal)
- Other
My office wants to learn more. How can I access your training?
You can schedule a free Rainbow 101 training with us by filling out the form here or you can email downeastrainbowalliance@gmail.com . If you are an individual looking for a training just for yourself, we now offer free quarterly Rainbow 101s at Cobscook Institute you can register for. To find out when our next public training is visit our Upcoming Events page or email us.
Downeast Rainbow Alliance 