Treatments Provided in the Transgender Clinic

Cincinnati Children’s follows Ohio Law regarding care of Transgender patients. Patients in the Transgender Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s receive the following, as appropriate and part of the individual care plan:

Evaluation by a physician who is trained and has experience in the care of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, including:

• Medical interview
• Physical examination
• Development of a plan 

Assessment by a social worker who is trained and has experience in the care of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, including:

• Psychosocial interview with patient and family or guardians 
• General patient and family support (support group information)
• Individualized patient and family resources as needed (therapy referrals, Pastoral Care referrals, letter of support for school)
• Development of a plan 

The Transgender Clinic provides other services depending on the needs and goals of the patient and his / her / their family or guardian, including services that are available to all teens and young adults in our Adolescent Medicine Clinics:

• Control of menstrual periods
• Contraception

The clinic does not include a psychologist; patients will be referred for psychological evaluation and therapy. The clinic also refers patients to other specialists at Cincinnati Children’s as needed.

What Does the First Visit Look Like?

At the first visit, the physician obtains a medical history and performs a physical examination. The physician will ask about the patient’s and family’s medical history. They will identify medical issues that the patient has and any issues that may need to be addressed. During the physical exam, the provider may need to determine the stage of pubertal development (has the patient started puberty, in the middle of puberty or finished puberty and done growing) to help with individualized treatment planning.  

Depending on the age of the patient, the healthcare provider may speak to the patient alone. Talking with the provider alone helps young people become more comfortable with seeing their healthcare providers on their own, which is important as they transition to adulthood.

The patient is also seen by a social worker who performs a psychosocial interview. The social worker wants to help understand how the patient and family or guardians are functioning and if there are any needs with which the clinic can assist. 

Once the medical history, physical examination and psychosocial interview are completed, the care team answers questions, provides resources and works with the patient and their family to develop a plan.

What Does a Plan Look Like?

The clinic's treatments and recommendations for patients have always been consistent with guidelines developed by professional societies, including the Endocrine Society, and will continue to follow these guidelines to the extent that we are legally able in the state Ohio.

In developing a plan, the team considers:

• The patient’s gender identity – current and history
• The patient’s age and stage of pubertal development
• The patient’s and family’s readiness for next steps
• Risks and benefits
• Costs
• The team seeks agreement with the patient, family or guardians, and the patient’s therapist.

Per Ohio law, we are unable to provide puberty blockers (medications that pause puberty) or gender affirming hormone therapy to minors who are new patients requesting that form of treatment.