Transgender Health Program: Primary Care

The team at the primary care clinic at Richmond in southeast Portland.
OHSU options for primary care include our Primary Care Clinic at Richmond, in Southeast Portland.

The OHSU Transgender Health Program welcomes patients in the Portland metro area who are seeking primary care. We know how important your health is to your well-being. We also understand how difficult it can be to find a knowledgeable, welcoming provider.

Our professionals are committed to providing affirming care that meets your needs at every stage of life. We can help you:

  • Connect with a gender-affirming provider at OHSU.
  • Choose from several options and locations.
  • Help you find a non-OHSU provider in your community.

What OHSU offers

Many of the primary care providers in OHSU’s family practice and internal medicine clinics have training and experience in treating gender-diverse patients. This includes:

Routine health care: OHSU providers emphasize the importance of your overall health and well-being.

Regular exams: We will work with you to make sure you get the screenings and exams you need, regardless of your gender identity. Anyone with a prostate or cervix, for example, should continue appropriate screenings. At OHSU, we bring a sensitive, gender-affirming approach to this care.

Hormone therapy: OHSU doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners have expertise in hormone therapy, and monitor patients throughout their care.

Our welcoming environments include:

  • Safe, affirming restroom access
  • Physical exams you’re comfortable with
  • Medical records that reflect your name, pronouns and gender identity
  • If needed, support from a peer volunteer during visits

Comprehensive care: Your primary care provider will work with other OHSU providers to make sure you get the care you need.

Provider guidance: If you would like to get hormone therapy or affirming primary care from your own provider, we can help the clinic learn how to provide it. Contact the THP or direct your provider to our For Health Care Professionals page.

For patients

Request services

Other questions and concerns

Refer a patient

Finding a primary care provider

You do not need a referral for a primary care appointment. 

If you live in the Portland metro area, see our Primary Care site to look for a provider. Look for one who lists transgender care among specialties and who practices at one of the locations below.

When you call, please let the clinic know you are seeking care through the Transgender Health Program. (If you live outside the Portland area, we encourage you to seek primary care in your community.  See the "Close to your home" section next.) 

Locations:

The Transgender Health Program can help you find a gender-affirming doctor near where you live; please fill out our service request form. 

If you’d like to find a provider on your own, here are some tips: 

Ask others: Ask friends or social media connections. Pose the question on a forum. Or contact an advocacy or support group.

Set realistic expectations: Finding a primary care doctor with expertise in transgender and gender-nonconforming care may not be easy, especially outside a large metro area. Consider making a list of what you consider essential in a provider. Then make a list of what you prefer but could live without. These lists can help guide your search.

Understand necessities: If you haven’t changed your name or gender marker with your insurance provider or on your birth certificate, the clinic may need to use your dead name and assigned gender on medical records. This helps with claims. It also ensures that some kinds of care are covered. You can still ask to have your name, pronouns and gender identity noted in your medical records. 

Among the things to ask a provider or front-office staff member:

  • How will you note my name, pronouns and gender identity on medical records if they differ from what’s on my birth certificate or insurance card?
  • Will you work with me and my insurer when I make claims that may be complicated by my name and gender identity?
  • Are you comfortable with me bringing a friend or family member to appointments?
  • Do you have any experience with transgender and gender-nonconforming patients?
  • Have you had any training in gender-diverse health?
  • Does my gender identity or physicality pose any issues for you?
  • Does the clinic staff have any training in gender-affirming care?
  • Are you familiar with the WPATH Standards of Care?
  • Are you willing to discuss how my physical exams are conducted?
  • Do you have any experience with hormone therapy for transgender or gender-nonbinary patients? If not, would you be willing to ask for guidance from the OHSU Transgender Health Program or elsewhere?
  • Does the staff use your affirmed name, pronouns and gender identity?
  • Do staff members apologize if they misuse your name, pronouns or gender identity?
  • Does the staff discuss any questions about your name, gender identity and other issues out of earshot of other patients?
  • Does the office have gender-neutral or single-stall restrooms?
  • Does the office’s art reflect diversity?
  • Do magazines in the waiting area reflect diversity? Are there any LGBTQ+ publications?
  • Does the office have a clear way to accept feedback or complaints?