Transgender & Nonbinary Care

Gender-Affirming Care at The Ashe Center

At the Ashe Center, we understand the unique challenges that gender-diverse students face when navigating health care. Our goal is to ensure transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse (TGD) students receive the highest quality care in a supportive, respectful space through a collaborative team-based approach.

Hormone therapy and other gender affirming care are covered benefits under UCSHIP. Please see the UCSHIP Gender Affirming Care flyer below for information about what is covered. If you are considering hormone therapy or any other gender affirming care, please schedule an appointment with our designated gender affirming care provider (Monique Vaillancourt, NP) to start the conversation.

Please note: All-gender restrooms are located on every floor of The Ashe Center for your convenience.

Services Provided

Primary Care

• Health care maintenance and preventive health
• Chronic disease management
• Vaccines
• Sexual health including STI screening, PrEP (prevention method used by people who are HIV-negative and at high risk for being exposed to HIV), PEP (use of antiretroviral drugs for people who are HIV-negative after a single high-risk exposure to stop HIV infection), cervical screening, contraception
• Preoperative physical exams
• Acne treatment including Accutane

Hormone Therapy

• Initiation and monitoring of hormone therapy
• Estrogens, androgens, antiandrogens, and progesterone with options for oral/injectable and topical/transdermal
• Referral to endocrinology as indicated or preferred by patient

Referrals for gender-affirming surgery/ interventions

• Plastic Surgery (chest reconstruction/top surgery and facial reconstruction)
• Head and Neck Surgery (tracheal shave)
• Speech Pathology (vocal therapy)
• Urology and/or Gynecology (genital reconstructive services/bottom surgery)
• Fertility Preservation (sperm/egg collection and cryopreservation)
• Hair removal (laser and electrolysis)

Mental Health Services

• Care coordination with UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
• Direct community mental health referrals for therapy and/or psychiatry

Our Team

Medical Care

• Monique Vaillancourt, RNP (she/her)
  • BS-UCSD Biology-Physiology and Neuroscience;
  • BS-UCLA- Nursing
  • MSN-UCLA Family Nurse Practitioner Program
  • Consulting MD-Dr. Amy Weimer, Co-Director of UCLA Gender Health Program
• Philosophy of Care
  • Informed consent model*/mutual decision making
  • Understanding of the unique and diverse patient needs/journey
  • Supporting student’s transition with the knowledge that college is a time of developing identity, seeking acceptance/social support, and negotiating stress as an underrepresented group in a university setting. Fostering resilience for post-graduation success.

*Under an informed consent model, a mental health evaluation is not required (i.e. no letters, no clearance statements, no required therapy) in order to consider beginning hormone therapy with your clinician. Nevertheless, many students do access mental health care to process their readiness for hormone therapy, emotional and psychological changes related to medical transition, and impact on everyday life. In addition, in some cases, you and your clinician may consider mental health care as an important part of your transition.

Case Management/ Clinical Coordination

• Kate Mulligan, MA (she/her)
  • Provides case management to students who need assistance navigating medical and mental health referrals, insurance matters, pre surgery letters, name change documentation, financial concerns, connection to campus and community resources, and more
  • Call 310-206-7171 OR send Kate a secure message on The Ashe Center Patient Portal

Insurance Navigation Support

• Steven Neflas (he/him)
  • Provides in-depth information about UCSHIP benefits and assistance navigating claims process
  • Phone: 310-794-5614 OR email shsins@ashe.ucla.edu, Attn: Steven Neflas - Insurance Coordinator

2022 US Trans Survey Early Insights

The U.S. Trans Survey is the largest survey of trans people, by trans people, in the United States. The USTS documents the lives and experiences of trans and nonbinary people ages 16+ in the U.S. and U.S. territories.

See Early Insights from the 2022 US Trans Survey

Additional Campus Resources

Campus Partners

• Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Transgender Care: https://counseling.ucla.edu/services/specialty-services

• LGBTQ Campus Resource Center: https://lgbtq.ucla.edu/Trans-At-UCLA

• UCLA Health Gender Health Program: https://www.uclahealth.org/gender-health/

• Center for Accessible Education: https://cae.ucla.edu

Student Groups

• Transgender UCLA Pride (TransUP):
  
  Contact: transuclapride@gmail.com, facebook.com/transuclapride and on Instagram @uclatransup

• Additional LGBTQIA-centered student groups listed by UCLA SOLE

Transgender Day of Visibility Pronouns Video

Steps to take:

1. Go to MyUCLA to log in.

   Log In Now using Bruin Online ID

2. Authenticate with your SSO
3. Choose Settings > Pronouns
4. Additionally, you can update your Gender Identity by choosing Settings > Gender Identity

Self-Select from these options:

Students will have the following pre-populated options for gender identity:

• Woman
• Man
• Transgender Woman/ Trans Woman
• Transgender Man/ Trans Man
• Nonbinary
• Decline to state
• Different Identity
• Intersex
• Asexual
• Bisexual
• Gay
• Heterosexual or straight
• Lesbian
• Not listed above

The following pre-populated options exist for pronouns:

• She/her/hers
• He/him/his
• They/them/theirs
• Ze/zir/zirs
• Xe/xem/xyr
• My name only
• Decline to state
• Different or multiple sets of pronouns

UCSHIP Coverage

UCSHIP's medical plan offers coverage for gender-affirming care. For more information, download the flier:

UCSHIP Gender Affirming Care Benefits Flier

Please note: Your coverage may vary depending on whether UCSHIP is your primary or secondary insurance plan. If you have two health insurance plans, your primary insurance remains your primary and UCSHIP is your secondary insurance (with some exceptions: MediCal, Medicaid, Tricare, and Medicare). It's important to know this when you're getting care off-campus (e.g. surgeries or other procedures). Contact The Ashe Center Insurance office for clarification or if you have any questions when seeking care.

Campus Medical Assistance Fund

Apply for a medical assistance grant to cover various out-of-pocket expenses related to gender-affirming care:

Learn more and apply here

The UC SHIP Reserve Fund Investment Committee (RFIC) granted funds to UCLA for distribution. Eligible students can receive a grant to assist them in paying their out-of-pocket medical expenses that exceed $500 up to $3,000.

Location

Ashe Center

Scheduling

Appointments: Patient Login or (310) 825-4073

Hours

View our Hours of Operation.

What to Bring

• BruinCard
• Complete the Clinical Questionnaire
• Arrive 15 minutes before your appointment time
• Plan for your visit to take one hour
• There is a $20 fee for missed appointments and late cancellation (less than 24 hours before appointment time)

Fees

See the Fees page for a detailed, centralized fees listing.