At the Student Health Center (SHC), we strive to be leaders in providing high-quality gender-affirming care to transgender, non-binary, and gender expansive NYU students. We believe that high-quality gender-affirming care requires a team approach with you at the center.

Gender-affirming Medical Services

Our approach to gender-affirming medical care is tailored to your goals and aligned to your holistic health.

Gender-affirming medical services provided at the SHC include:   

  • Medical providers who can help you develop goals and a plan for transitioning.
  • Consultation and prescription for beginning or continuing hormone therapy.
  • Referrals to external resources and providers.
  • Gender-affirming care coordination.

For services that are not available at the SHC, like voice modification therapy, hair removal, and gender-affirming surgery, your SHC medical provider and Gender-Affirming Care Coordinator can help you understand these services and how to access them through an off-campus provider. We work closely with local specialists and strive to build good relationships with surgeons and other specialty care providers who provide gender-affirming care.

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Get Connected to Gender-Affirming Medical Care

If you are seeking gender-affirming medical care, please follow the steps below to initiate care with our Gender and Sexuality Team. You should follow the process below even if you already received gender-affirming care elsewhere—or have already met with an SHC provider for routine care.

Step 1: Log in to the SHC Portal to Make an Appointment

graphic illustration of a laptop on the NYU SHC portal website

  • Log in to the SHC Portal.
  • Click "Appointments." Click “Schedule an Appointment.” Select “NYC: Washington Sq.” Select “Medical Services.”
  • Select "Gender-Affirming Care Intake"

Step 2: Submit a Gender-affirming Care Form

Complete a Gender-affirming Care Form in the SHC Portal. This form includes a few questions that will guide our team to better assist you. After you submit the form, one of our Gender-affirming Care Coordinators will reach out to you within several business days to schedule an intake appointment.

graphic illustration of a pen and clipboard with the Gender-affirming Care Form popping out of a laptop screen

Step 3: Have an Intake Appointment with Your Gender-affirming Care Coordinator

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Your intake appointment with your Gender-affirming Care Coordinator will last one hour and can take place in person or virtually. Your Gender-affirming Care Coordinator is here to help you navigate resources at NYU and outside of the university (if needed). During this appointment, you will work together to discuss your goals, identify barriers or challenges, and explore support and resource options. You will also schedule your future appointments with a Gender and Sexuality Team medical provider.

The information collected by your Gender-affirming Care Coordinator during your intake appointment will be reviewed by your medical provider before your first medical appointment. This way, your medical provider can spend more time with you discussing your specific care and goals.

Step 4: Have a Virtual Appointment With Your Medical Provider

Your first appointment with your Gender and Sexuality Team medical provider will be 45 minutes long and take place virtually. Prior to the appointment, your medical provider will review the information you shared during your intake appointment and on your Gender-affirming Care Form. They may review some of this information with you to confirm it is correct.

During the appointment, your provider will focus on your specific care needs and goals. This is a great time to ask any specific medical questions you may have about the process or what to expect. For example, you might want to know how soon you will see changes in your body if you start taking hormones, how other pre-existing conditions intersect with your gender-affirming care, or about options for fertility preservation.

graphic illustration of a cellular phone with an image of a doctor on the screen and text message bubbles indicating a virtual message correspondence between the doctor and patient

Step 5: Meet Your Medical Provider for an In-Person Appointment

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Your in-person appointment with your Gender and Sexuality Team medical provider will last 30 minutes and take place at the SHC. During this appointment, your provider will perform a physical exam and you will likely have blood work done, depending on your plan of care. If you are beginning injectable hormones for the first time, the provider will go over this process with you step-by-step. This will be another opportunity to ask any questions that have come up since your previous visit.  

Based on your health, desired goals, and treatment plan, your medical provider will advise you about when you should schedule follow-up appointments for medical care.

Follow-up Appointments

Your Gender-affirming Care Coordinator

You will have a follow-up appointment with your Gender-affirming Care Coordinator after you meet your Gender and Sexuality Team medical provider to process that experience, answer lingering questions, and discuss next steps. This appointment will last 30 minutes and can take place in person or virtually. 

At the end of this follow-up appointment, the two of you will decide how frequently to meet moving forward. These meetings may be weekly, monthly, or once a semester depending on your particular goals and needs.

Your Medical Provider

After you go through these steps to initiate care with our Gender and Sexuality Team, you can meet with your medical provider anytime you need gender-affirming or routine medical care. You can schedule appointments in the SHC Portal or by calling the SHC at (212) 443-1000.

Additional resources beyond gender-affirming medical care:

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Insurance Coverage

For general guidance about understanding insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, we recommend the National Center for Transgender Equality’s guide to getting your healthcare covered.

The NYU-sponsored Student Health Insurance plans (Wellfleet) provide medically necessary gender-affirming services for transgender and non-binary members. For answers to common questions regarding coverage, prior authorization criteria, and other services available to support members' gender-affirming needs, please review the Wellfleet Student Comprehensive Guide on Gender-Affirming Services. If you have additional questions about your coverage, contact Wellfleet at (877) 373-1170 or nyu@wellfleetinsurance.com.

If you are not enrolled in NYU-sponsored insurance, please check with your insurance provider for coverage inquiries.

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Mental Health Services

Counseling and Wellness Services (CWS) can help with any mental health concerns you might experience — including issues related to gender identity and sexuality — along with stress, anxiety, alcohol or drugs, eating, depression, family issues, suicidal thoughts, and more.

CWS offers individual counseling, group counseling, wellness workshops, referrals to long-term services in the community, and long-term psychiatric medication services on-site.

CWS counselors are diverse in background and expertise. Our counselors are psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health counselors, nurse practitioners, and advanced trainees in those professions. They are well equipped to work with students confronting a broad range of issues including, but not limited to, LGBTQ+ concerns, substance use, eating disorders, interpersonal conflicts, identity issues, and a host of other concerns.

Individual Counseling

To schedule a counseling appointment, you first have to pick the right appointment type for you!

  1. Visit our Counseling Options website to learn about our different counseling types — Single Session, Short-term, Group, and Urgent Counseling.
  2. Click on the best option for you and follow the directions on that page to schedule an appointment.

If you want to make a counseling appointment with a member of the Gender & Sexuality Team, call us at (212) 998-4780.

Group Counseling

CWS offers group counseling for issues related to identity, including gender identity and  gender expression. Group therapy provides a safe and confidential place to explore concerns around various issues. Talking to other students who have had similar experiences offers support, healing, and perspective.  

Group counseling options change each semester, but our options typically include a Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, & Non-Binary Group and a Coming Out Group, among others. Learn more or sign up for a counseling group!

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Sexual Assault, Relationship Abuse, and Violence

Sexual assault, relationship abuse, and violence can occur in any community, but studies suggest that around half of transgender and non-bianary people will experience sexual violence and more than half will experience relationship abuse at some point in their lifetimes. Our Sexual and Relationship Respect Services include support such as safety planning, assistance in navigating options and rights, connecting to off-campus resources, and providing emotional support through individual short-term therapy and group therapy. Our sexual assault and relationship abuse counseling groups can vary each semester but typically include groups based on gender identity and those that are gender inclusive.  

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, relationship abuse, violence, stalking, or harassment, contact the Wellness Exchange (24/7) at (212) 443-9999 to get confidential support and access to resources, Sexual and Relationship Respect Services, or the NYU Bias Response Line at (212) 998-2277 or bias.response@nyu.edu.

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LGBTQ+ Center

The LGBTQ+ Center is our partner in delivering a warm and welcoming environment for students. The Center offers student groups (including T-Party—NYU’s trans and non-binary student group), support services, resources, events, programs, education, and consultation.

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Your Experience at the SHC

At the SHC, you will be supported by an experienced team that is committed to understanding your unique experience and goals. We understand that seeking medical and mental health care may feel challenging at times, but we’re here to partner with you in providing the best care aligned to your goals and needs.   

You and your care team are equal partners in the process—you have the right to ask questions and give feedback, advocate for yourself, set boundaries, bring someone with you, and participate in the decision-making process with your team.

Name and Pronouns

To ensure your medical record accurately reflects your identity, we invite you to update your profile in the SHC Portal with your chosen name and pronouns. Your SHC Portal profile does not sync with your name and pronouns in Albert, so any changes you make in Albert will not be reflected in the SHC Portal. Updating your SHC Portal profile will help our staff address you correctly. Additionally, we are aware of the problems inherent in health information systems and continue to work on solutions that will allow us to record and use your correct name and gender more easily.

To update your SHC Portal profile:

  • Log in to the SHC Portal and select Profile from the navigation menu; or

  • Tell our front desk staff about any changes you would like to make when you check in for an appointment.  

All-gender Restrooms

For your comfort and privacy, all the SHC restrooms are single occupant, all-gender restrooms.

Feedback 

We welcome both positive and negative feedback regarding the experience you have had with us—we encourage you to communicate your needs, concerns, and suggestions. If you feel that we could be doing something better or had an experience at the SHC that was not consistent with our mission, please let us know by contacting health.feedback@nyu.edu. 

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Our Team

Our Gender and Sexuality Team is a group of experienced staff that includes medical clinicians, registered nurses, counseling and wellness providers, and Gender-Affirming Care Coordinators, who are committed to helping you access the care you need. With the SHC’s support, team members have dedicated significant time and resources to learning about the best and safest ways to provide gender-affirming care. Our Gender and Sexuality Team clinicians are members of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). They follow the WPATH Standards of Care and participate in their education program.