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Before Your Gender Affirming Care Visit

Important COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 Information For Patients

In order to keep you, other patients and our staff healthy we are taking steps to limit the spread of COVID-19. Here's what that means:

  • You are encouraged to use telehealth for your visit if possible
  • All visits require an appointment
  • We will screen you for symptoms of COVID-19 before you are seen and ask that you wear a mask or face covering when you enter the building
  • No guests can accompany you into the building
Learn More

First, thank you for choosing Planned Parenthood for your health care needs! We’re excited to see you. For an overview of the appointment process, please look through the sections below.

Your First Appointment

Your first visit will be virtually with a patient navigator. At this appointment, we will:

  • Go through the intake process
  • Go over the informed consent model we use for care 
  • Talk about your journey and mental health history
  • Go over expected changes and what’s reversible vs. what’s not
  • Talk about your support system and offer additional resources

Before your visit ends, the patient navigator will schedule your initial visit with a clinician. 

Your first appointment is free – even if you choose not to move forward with a second appointment.

While this is your only visit with the patient navigator, your navigator will continue to be available as a resource for general help in navigating the health system. They will also be working behind the scenes before your second appointment on any insurance preauthorization or legal letters that might be needed. They will reach out to you with any follow-up questions that arise during that process.

Your Second Appointment

At this appointment, you will meet in-person with your health care provider. This appointment can take place at any Planned Parenthood location in Southwest Ohio.

For any in-person appointment, be sure to have a photo ID and, if you plan to use insurance, your insurance card. Sometimes the name on your ID or insurance card won’t match each other or may not match the name you go by – that’s ok. Just let the our staff member know when you arrive. 

If you have children under 13 with you, we ask that you bring another adult who can watch them in the waiting room during your appointment. NOTE: Due to COVID-19, guests are not currently able to come with you to your appointment.

At this appointment, we will:

  • Go over your medical history, current medications and allergies – the types of things you’d go over in any other doctor’s office visit
  • Review the information provided to the patient navigator
  • Draw any needed labs
  • If eligible, get a prescription to start hormone therapy

If your treatment includes self-injections, we will teach you how to do that. Before you leave, the health center staff will schedule your first follow-up visit.

Your Follow-up Appointment(s)

Gender affirming hormone therapy often involves a 3 to 5-year care plan and, for most people, will require ongoing management for the rest of their life. To keep your plan on track, we recommend that you come in for routine follow-up appointments.

In the first year, we will schedule a follow-up visit approximately every three months if you are on hormone therapy. Once your medication dose is stable, we will see you every 6 months. Eventually, we'll just need to see you annually.

Your follow-up visits don’t have to be in-person, though! You can choose a telehealth option if that is more convenient. 

What You Should Know After Your Appointment

If you use insurance, the name used for billing purposes generally has to match the name on your ID. Communications from Planned Parenthood will always use the name you go by. We are committed to providing the best care for you possible, so please let us know if there is anything you experience that we could improve!

For all appointments, please keep in mind the following items:

  • Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment.
  • Bring a photo ID. If you have insurance, bring your current insurance card(s) and money for your co-pay if you have one.
  • Health insurance is accepted, but not necessary to receive services at Planned Parenthood. If you are paying out-of-pocket, services are provided at a discounted flat-fee rate. Please call for additional information about the cost of your visit.
  • Bring a list of all the medications you are currently taking.
  • No drug or alcohol use 24 hours prior to your appointment.
  • If coming in for an Annual Exam, STI Screening, or Infection check:
    • If you have a vagina: do not put anything in the vagina for 72 hours prior to your appointment. Do not urinate 2 hours prior to your appointment.
    • If you have a penis: do not urinate or ejaculate 2 hours prior to your appointment.
  • If you plan on bringing children with you to your appointment, please bring an adult with you to watch them in the lobby. NOTE: Due to COVID-19 guests are not able to accompany you into the building at this time.
  • Some of our locations have protesters. They are not allowed to touch you or prevent you from coming on the property.
  • Please call our office with any questions you have prior to your appointment.