The Penn State Health Approach to Gender - Affirming Health Care

The Gender Health Clinic at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive, gender-affirming care for children, adolescents and young adults up to age 25 in a supportive and safe environment. Its multidisciplinary team works collaboratively to help patients with concerns about their gender, sexuality or sexual development feel comfortable in their bodies and affirm their gender.

Patient- and Family-Centered Comprehensive Care

The Gender Health Clinic can diagnose and manage gender dysphoria and other related health concerns for patients up to 25 years old, including mood problems, menstrual management, and other related health concerns. Understanding that each patient’s concerns and needs are unique, the clinic’s care providers work with the patient and their family to develop an individualized plan to help them achieve their goals.

The clinic can provide a full psychosocial and physical evaluation as well as ongoing care, including gender-affirming counseling and medical care, offering both fully reversible treatments such as menstrual suppression and estrogen or testosterone blockers, as well as more permanent hormonal therapies. The Gender Health Clinic does not provide gender-affirming surgery, but may make referrals.

The Gender Health Clinic team at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital includes a variety of specialists who are trained in gender-affirming care for children, adolescents and young adults. Together, they address the social, emotional and physical health care needs of their patients with compassion, understanding and support.

Adolescent Medicine Physicians: The clinic’s primary medical doctors are pediatricians who specialize in adolescent medicine with expertise in diagnosing and managing adolescent gender dysphoria and related conditions up to the 25th birthday.

Pediatric endocrinologist: The clinic’s pediatric endocrinologist provides puberty-blocking medications, cares for people with differences of sexual development and cares for patients who are younger than 10 years old.

Psychiatrist: The clinic’s psychiatrist provides comprehensive psychiatric assessments and gender-affirming care for adolescents and young adults, ages 14 to 25, with gender dysphoria.

Therapists: These providers work collaboratively with patients, their families and the clinic team to provide therapy and help guide treatment. The clinic coordinator is also a licensed clinical social worker who is a certified provider through the World Professional Association of Transgender Health.

Why Choose Penn State Health for Gender Health Care

The Gender Health Clinic at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive, gender-affirming care for children, adolescents and young adults throughout central Pennsylvania. The clinic’s collaborative team of providers are specially trained to meet the complex social, emotional and physical health care needs of their patients within a supportive and safe environment.

Next Steps

The Gender Health Clinic welcomes children, adolescents and young adults up to age 25 who have questions or concerns about their gender, sexuality or sexual development. Patients can be referred by pediatricians or other care providers. They may also self-refer by calling 717-531-2073.

Gender Affirming Care at Penn State Health

Penn State Health adheres to the standards of care outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and other professional organizations in providing medically necessary, gender-affirming health care to minors.

We are committed to protecting the privacy and dignity of patients receiving gender-affirming care and counseling and their families. Penn State Health does not permit intolerance directed at any individual patient, family member or caregiver based on aspects of diversity such as race, ethnicity, gender identity or religion.