San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center and Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley Announce New Partnership
For Immediate Release: Oct. 30, 2019 (Updated: Oct. 30, 2019, 6 a.m.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pasadena, CA – The San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center (Center) and Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley (PPPSGV) have announced a new partnership to foster healthcare linkages for the LGBTQ community across the SGV.
The mission of the Center is to foster a safer and more inclusive SGV for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. One of its mandates is to increase the availability of locally provided and culturally competent health care programs and services to the LGBTQ community. However, it has historically been challenging to find LGBTQ-inclusive care in the SGV, and The Center has served as the primary point of contact for many LGBTQ individuals living in the SGV.
To address these challenges, PPPSGV launched a LGBTQ+ Care Initiative at its health centers in 2016 with the incorporation of the HIV prevention medications PrEP and PEP. As part of its launch, PPPSGV trained all staff in LGBTQ inclusion and care practices. Earlier this year, PPPSGV expanded this initiative with the addition of TransCare, its signature line of hormone therapy and gender-inclusive sexual and reproductive health care services. Since launching the TransCare program in April, PPPSGV has seen nearly 150 new patients that identify as transgender or gender non-binary.
Aaron Saenz, Co-Founder of the Center, said: "We are always getting calls from our community about where they can find an LGBTQ friendly doctor or local access to hormone therapy for transgender folks. Through our partnership with Planned Parenthood we now have a healthcare provider that can offer culturally competent care throughout the SGV. This is going to be amazing for our community!"
Through this new partnership, Planned Parenthood patients will also be able to benefit from the programs, social services, and resources that the Center provides, including peer support groups, phone and text lines, community events, education workshops, and more.
“We are proud to partner with the Center as we work to expand access to safe and nonjudgmental health care, education, and resources to our LGBTQ community,” said Sheri Bonner, President and CEO of PPPSGV. “We want people to lead their healthiest, happiest, and most authentic lives.”
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Press enquiries:
Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley
Norma Rodriguez, Manager of Public Affairs
San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center
Aaron Saenz, Co-founder
About the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center
The Center is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 2011. The Center is located at the Prince Erik Hall and Gardens in Arcadia, CA, although we are only open during programming hours. The Center provides the following programs: Peer Support, Community Education, Community Building, Community Outreach and Advocacy. For more information about the Center visit our website at www.sgvlgbtq.org.
About Planned Parenthood-Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley
Founded in 1933, Planned Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley has been serving Northeast Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley for 85 years. Our mission is to provide broad public access to sexual and reproductive care through: (1) convenient, affordable, and culturally fluent medical services; (2) sex and relationship education for young people, teachers, parents, and the general public; and (3) local, state, and federal advocacy efforts that support these services. This year, our four health centers in Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Alhambra, and Glendora will see nearly 65,000 patient visits, and at over 50 community sites, including schools and local nonprofits, we will deliver 13,000 opportunities for sex education.
Our service area extends from Glendora to Glendale, and from the San Gabriel Mountains to the San Bernardino freeway, home to 24 communities and a diverse population of 1.4 million people.