Guess what? Tulsa’s Planned Parenthood has trans services

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

Did you know Planned Parenthood of the Heartland has transgender services? Initial consults, bloodwork, physicals and hormone therapy have been a service to transgender populations since 2014 at the Midtown Health Center in Tulsa, and people come in weekly – almost every day. This year alone, PPHeartland has provided care to 74 individuals through 308 visits.

“It’s been a great support and resource,” Mary Jones, Affordable Care Act Navigator, says. “Services are available to anyone. We also work with insurance, on a sliding scale – and these are resources for an entire community.”

“PPHeartland is the only provider in Tulsa accepting new transgender patients, and recently, we have begun receiving requests from transgender individuals to transfer their primary care to our provider as they feel uncomfortable or have had negative experiences with their current care provider,” says Lily Pina, Advanced Practice Nurse.

“We have a part-time bi-lingual clinician who is trained and provides a wide range of services including comprehensive exams, hormone therapy and monitoring as well as a wide range of reproductive and general health services including STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings and well and sick visits.”

Kate Neary-Pounds, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development in Oklahoma and Arkansas, says, “Several people around the country are currently really interested in the clinicians trained.”

According to Pina, a male to female transgender patient in her senior years attempted for most of her life to live as a 'typical male' as accepted by society.

“She had resigned herself to live as a male until the end of her days, but after experiencing a traumatic personal loss, she felt bereft and adrift. She had kept her true self hidden in order not to bring any emotional pain to her loved ones, but now she questioned her very existence,” says Pina.

“The question presented over and over, ‘stay hidden in the darkness of her bedroom or present herself to the world?’

“She visited Planned Parenthood of the Heartland during that time, confused and uncertain of how to continue her life. ‘What was the point now? Is it too late for me?’ she asked. As she continued her visits and made the bold and difficult decision to live as her true self, we at Planned Parenthood were able to experience her transformation into whom she really had been all along.

“It was truly rewarding to see the heaviness drift from her face as she came in each month with a beautiful dress and high heels to show us how happy she was. She is finally able to present herself to the world, and her appreciation and gratitude for our services is not only expressed verbally with every visit; it is visible in her expression.”

PPHeartland also assists transgender individuals with navigating the health care system by connecting them to other needed medical and social services including mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, housing and other social support systems in the community.

Providing education and outreach in the community, PPHeartland collaborates with community partners to ensure transgender individuals have the information they need to make informed decisions in order to feel safe, comfortable, and supported in accessing care in their health center.

Patients may self-pay, use private insurance or bill SoonerCare for other health needs. Some services may qualify for a discount depending on the patient’s income and family size. The patients must be age 18 or older.

Planned Parenthood hosts events throughout the year and encourages supporters to visit their website or Facebook page for information at www.ppheartland.org.

The Gayly – August 7, 2016 @ 12:10 p.m.