Center for Gender-Affirming Medicine

We provide customized, thoughtful, evidence-based care in compliance with the Trump Administration’s Executive Order regarding gender-affirming care.

For children under 19

We can offer the following services to children under 19. 

• Well care
• Education
• Mental health coordination
• Supportive care for LGBTQ youth

Please call our Adolescent Medicine department at 330-543-8538 for further information.

For patients 19 and older

Treatment may include:

• Pubertal suppression 
• Gender-affirming hormones
• Mental health care coordination
• Well checks/preventive visits
• Education
• Supportive care for LGBTQ+ youth and their families

Click the link below to learn about our clinical path for patients 19 and older.

Step 1:

Call the Adolescent Medicine department. Please leave a message with your child’s full legal name, date of birth and the best phone number to reach you.

Refer yourself, or have a provider refer you. Please call 330-543-8538, and select option 2.

Step 2:

Complete the brief phone intake.

• Staff will mail a packet to your home. Complete and send back.
• Schedule with multidisciplinary team.
• Prepare any questions you have for the team.

Step 3:

Meet our multidisciplinary team. This is a two-hour intake assessment. We will provide a note pad and pen for you.

Whom you’ll meet:

• Adolescent Medicine physician.
• Mental health specialist.
• Social worker.

What to expect:

• Share your gender journey.
• Medical and mental health history.
• Assess current mental health and mental health supports.
• Brief physical exam.

Create a plan:

• Where do I go from here?
• Follow up with Adolescent Medicine?
• Continue with or connect to mental health specialist.

Step 4:

Care options: Start gender-affirming medical treatment, if desired.

Adolescent Medicine:

• Menstrual suppression, continued monitoring.

Mental health care

• Establish care with a gender-affirming therapist for ongoing monitoring of mental health. This may be an Akron Children’s or community provider.
  • To start gender-affirming medical treatment, you will likely need a letter of support from your therapist.

Step 5:

Continue receiving care.

• Adolescent Medicine will follow you through age 24 and can manage your hormone therapies if you are 19 or older at your first assessment.
• Mental health specialists and Social Work will be available for consultation and ongoing support, as needed.
• A nurse coordinator will help with ongoing medication questions or concerns, education and resources, and general program questions.
• We will help transition you to an adult provider, when appropriate.