Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy

Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida sees gender-affirming care as an important service that speaks to the core of our mission. This service can be found at any of our health centers as well as through telehealth.

Our Services

We offer gender-affirming hormone therapy for transmasculine, transfeminine, non-binary, and gender diverse individuals. We can provide:

• Feminizing hormone therapy
  • Androgen (Testosterone)-blocking medications: spironolactone and/or finasteride
  • Estrogen-based medications: pills (swallowed or dissolved under the tongue), injections, patches
  • Progesterone
• Masculinizing hormone therapy
  • Testosterone-based medications: injections, gels, patches
  • Scalp hair loss: finasteride
• Microdosing or intermediate dose hormones
  • Low dose gender affirming hormone therapy is an option that is often considered when individuals want certain changes but not others or for some folks wanting to maintain an “androgynous” appearance, or those seeking slower or more subtle changes.
  • It can include low dose estrogen-based medications, low dose testosterone-based medications, androgen blockers, and/or progesterone that is customized based on the individual’s goal to achieve one’s authentic self.

We may be able to start or continue gender-affirming hormone therapy and provide referrals for gender-qualified therapy and resources if needed. If you are on hormone therapy, you can utilize the health center for ongoing care and monitoring.

Your First Appointment

At your first visit we will assess the following:

• Height, weight, and blood pressure
• Document your gender identity, pronouns, sex assigned at birth in your medical record. We ask all patients this information regardless of the reason for visit in order to provide the best care
• Review your medical history, medications, allergies, medical diagnoses (physical and mental health), surgical history, sexual and reproductive history and practices, family history
• Discuss your medical transition goals
• Review and sign the informed consent including expected changes with hormone therapy, invite and answer questions
• Blood lab work to monitor for potential side effects of hormone use

You will not be asked to change into a medical gown or have an exam unless you request an exam for a concern. All services including annual wellness checks (pelvic exams and cervical cancer screening), STD testing and treatment, HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), clinical chest exams, cervical cancer screenings, human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines, pregnancy testing, abortion care and other health care services are also available to all.

A typical initial visit can last up to 1 hour. Follow-up visits are generally shorter.

A clinician will work with you to determine a plan of care to best meet your goals. In most cases, the clinician will be able to send a prescription to your pharmacy the same day as your visit unless there are special conditions or contraindications.

At Planned Parenthood, we want to make sure you have all the resources you need to live a healthy and strong life. You can find additional resources for gender-affirming care and services through one of our coalition partners, Equality Florida.

Minors and Gender-Affirming Care

Because of the actions of the Florida Board of Medicine and other governmental officials, Florida now prohibits physicians from providing gender-affirming hormone therapy to minors unless they received hormone therapy prior to March 16, 2023.  

Planned Parenthood believes that your body is your own, and that you have the right to be your most authentic self regardless of gender identity or expression. We will continue to provide care to the fullest extent allowed by law, including to minors who were already receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy prior to March 16, 2023. 

If you are a minor who received gender-affirming hormone therapy prior to March 16, 2023 at PPSWCF, you can continue to do so. If you are a minor who is currently receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy with another provider, you will need to schedule an appointment to talk to a patient navigator about how to transfer your care to PPSWCF. Call 941-567-3800 to make an appointment.  

If you are a minor who did not received gender-affirming hormone therapy prior to March 16, 2023, providers in Florida, including PPSWCF, are prohibited from providing you care. For more information on gender affirming care providers outside of Florida, the following resources may be helpful: 

• WPATH.org 

• LGBTQHealthcareDirectory.org 

• MyTransHealth.com 

• OutCareHealth.org