This month we continue our celebration of Pride Month with highlighting local LGBTQA resources in the Northeast Ohio region. This time we are showcasing Health and Medical Resources.

Finding a healthcare provider that you are comfortable is always a challenge. Two of the largest healthcare providers in the area offer centers that have locations with staff and services for the LGBT community.

Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Care offers healthcare services at the Lakewood Family Health Center.

Examples of Care Provided:

Services

To help address these disparities, Cleveland Clinic offers the following services to gay men and MSM:

Gay and Bisexual Men Health

• Primary Care. General preventive health, screening for disease including cancer and infectious disease, immunizations, and counseling related to healthy behaviors. While all health care providers have a basic knowledge to care for many types of patients, the Cleveland Clinic has identified a group of providers who have a specialty interest in the care of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients.
• Behavioral Health. Behavioral health services offer providers with special interest in LGBT psychological health needs.
• Specialty Care. Cleveland Clinic has worked to identify providers within the majority of sub-specialty disciplines who have an interest in the care of LGBT patients.

Lesbian and Bisexual Women Health

• Primary Care. Routine health care maintenance, surveillance of chronic medical conditions, access to providers for acute medical visits, smoking cessation, management of and referral for psychiatric conditions such as mood disorders and substance abuse problems.
• Gynecologic Care. Routine gynecologic care including cancer screening, pelvic examinations, management of chronic or acute gynecologic conditions, contraceptive counseling and management, fertility consultation and treatment, evaluation and treatment of sexual pain.
• Endocrinology and Metabolism Care. Specialty help for metabolic disease and obesity through consultation with nutritionists, endocrinologists, and bariatric surgery.
• Specialty Care. Cleveland Clinic has worked to identify providers within the majority of subspecialty disciplines who have an interest in the care of LGBT patients.
• Behavioral Health. Cleveland Clinic’s behavioral health services offer providers with special interest in LGBT psychological health needs.

Transgender Health

• Primary Care. Routine health care maintenance, surveillance of chronic medical conditions, access to providers for acute medical visits, smoking cessation.
• Gynecologic Care. Routine gynecologic care including cancer screening, pelvic examinations, management of chronic or acute gynecologic conditions, contraceptive counseling and management, fertility consultation and treatment, evaluation and treatment of sexual pain.
• Hormone Therapy & Surveillance.Initiation, maintenance, and surveillance of cross-sex hormones.
• Behavioral Health. Diagnosis of gender dysphoria, treatment and management of other comorbid conditions (depression, anxiety, PTSD), management of substance abuse problems.
• Obesity Services.Multidisciplinary approaches to weight loss and maintenance, referral to bariatric surgery.
• Surgical Services.Referral within Cleveland Clinic to providers who perform gender confirmation procedures.

and

LGBT – Pride Clinic at MetroHealth

Examples of Care Provided:

• Adult, adolescent and pediatric care
• OB-GYN care
• Family planning
• Smoking cessation
• Controlling your cholesterol numbers
• Lowering your high blood pressure
• Immunizations
• Physical exams
• HIV prevention (PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis)
• HIV testing
• Care for HIV-positive patients
• STI screening and treatment
• Medical and behavioral health services for LGBT and questioning youth