LGBT Services Through Planned Parenthood

[Noah G.]

I was cruising the Planned Parenthood site for something else and decided to check if they had anything for gender identity which, really, was easy to confirm and what they had to say and such. I also checked what PP branches in my area offer LGBT services (interestingly, all of them do except those in larger city areas, though I wonder if perhaps that may have something to do with LGBT Centers or something?). Naturally, I grew more and more curious not necessarily because I need it myself per se, but because I'm just a curious guy and was wondering if perhaps this is a resource not often tapped by the trans community.

So it begged the questions...

Anyone know anything about the LGBT services offered by Planned Parenthood? Whether through personal experience or the experience of others who have sought their services?

If so, what was it like? Was it helpful?

[Noah G.]

Hmm...perhaps I should pop into my local branch and ask some questions/schedule an appointment to report back on here?

Admittedly I wasn't sure if anyone might know as I have never seen PP mentioned anywhere before and was actually mildly surprised, or perhaps intrigued, that they did offer TG/TS services (I figured they had LGB services).

[LordKAT]

The planned parenthood places that will provide help for TG persons are listed on their web site. City by city and address by address. I kind of thought most knew this but I guess I was wrong.

[Noah G.]

Well, to be honest I have never before looked into Planned Parenthood: have never had any need to whatsoever. I don't relate TG/TS to sexuality, which is their primary focus, either. So, basically, I've never thought about it. Regardless that doesn't address anything I'm asking, I'm wondering about the services and resources they provide -- whether they're primarily referrals out of house or if there is anything in house, if people have found them to be generally useful, even if they have been found to be pretty limited in what they can offer. Those sort of things, because the site really says little more than that they offer gender identity services.

Given the fact they are never mentioned as a resource, it makes one wonder if that's because they have been found to be lacking or even not that useful.

[LordKAT]

As I said some provide services and they have a list of which ones do.  Hormone scripts or hormones themselves can be provided through their offices as well as physicals. I never thought of them as sexuality only, family doesn't always mean sex.

This link lists ones for New York, you have to look at each to see if LGBT is listed under each clinic.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/findCenter.asp?s=NY&o=1&p=18&c=N&l=0

[Noah G.]

Yea, I already did a search to find centers in my general area and noticed that the ones that don't offer LGBT services are primarily in "major cities" -- thing is, the only services they list are "resources" and "services referral" which, really, is very vague. Hence my questions about these services and resources.

The one right in my town, a few minutes from where I live, is listed as offering these services which is why I was considering stopping over there to find the answers for myself (something I wouldn't be able to do until next week).

I've always seen them as primarily sexuality-focused, and perusing their site again nearly all of their services are more sexuality-based than family-based (i.e. few services outside of sexuality, and nothing really for "families" past pregnancy -- no pediatric services or anything and, in fact, they don't even provide childcare). Even had I known they offered more general health testing and exams (as stated, never had a reason to look into them or seek their services) I wouldn't have thought they did anything with TG/TS as it often seems to be the exception of sorts.

[LordKAT]

I wouldn't go to a clinic anyway for child care so how that fits in with family  base vs sexuality I don't understand. It is  a clinic. They deal with fertility, abortion, adoption, birth control, etc. Those are family type things, not sexuality.

[Noah G.]

The child care was more in respect to bringing a child there when you have an appointment: some offices, clinics even, I imagine, offer child care of some form for that time during the appointment, but Planned Parenthood doesn't offer such a thing. Perhaps that's just my own way of thinking of sexuality-based versus family-based, however. I can admit that.

This seems more a difference in that than anything else though. With the exception of adoption I think of those things in terms of sexuality -- reproduction is more accurate, I suppose, but that ties in to sexuality more than it necessarily does family in my way of thinking of things. Right, wrong, or neither that's how I look at family versus sexuality here.