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What is a Gender Clinic?
Gender is important. It forms part of a person’s personal and social identity. It refers to the way a person feels, presents, and is recognised within the community. However the way a person perceives their gender does not always match how they were assigned at birth. There is a wide continuum of gender. Not all people feel as if they align with one of only of two genders and choose to explore gender possibilities beyond binary expressions of gender. Given how different gender is to each individual we believe there is not a one size fits all approach to help people in their journey. The Telehealth Gender Clinic works with you to achieve your goals while keeping safety paramount. What is Telehealth? Telehealth is the use of a video or phone connection to discuss your needs with a health professional. Telehealth has proven to be a beneficial option for healthcare delivery as it is a simple and time saving way to connect with medical professionals. You’ll need access to a camera and microphone on your mobile phone or computer to allow for the video consultation, as well as internet connection and email. If prefered the consultation can be conducted over the phone. What services do you offer? What type of issues can you help with?
The Telehealth Gender Clinic is ideally suited to people living in Australia that are unable to access the standard models of care which are available. The leaders in gender care in Australia are the highly skilled large multidisciplinary centres which provide the most comprehensive model of support. However we acknowledge that this is an impossible option for some, particularly those living in rural or remote areas, or else those people who do not have the time available to travel to these centres. What age of patients do you see? Hormones can be prescribed at TTGC for people aged 18 and over after going through an informed consent process. For individuals that are under the age of 18 timely commencement of treatment is exceptionally important. However it is best managed by a large specialist multidisciplinary clinic due to the complexity involved particularly for decisions around commencing Stage 2 treatment. The location of these clinics are available here. We are unable to commence hormones for people under the age of 18. It is understood however that some young people in very rural and remote places may not be able to easily access these services, and are just need further information first. If wanting an appointment to just discuss what the options are, to get a referral to a specialist, or ask any questions you are most welcome to book an appointment. What is the pricing? Telehealth consultations are privately billed. The fees are;
There are no Medicare rebate available. Is my consultation covered by Medicare? These consultations are not able to be covered by Medicare and are privately billed. Whilst Medicare does not subsidise your telehealth consultation, if eligible it can be used to subsidise pathology tests and some prescriptions. If you are wanting anonymity and do not want to have Medicare billed, all investigations and medications can be privately billed if preferred. Are refunds available? Full refunds are available for appointments that are cancelled at least 24 hours before the appointment time. If you have cancelled your appointment and have not received your refund within 14 days, please get in contact. Are you able to provide prescriptions? Prescriptions are able to be provided if appropriate, and are issued as e-prescriptions. For testosterone if it is clinically appropriate it can be prescribed privately which makes it a bit more expensive. Alternatively a PBS script for testosterone can be issued if referred to an endocrinologist or sexual health physician as well. Are you able to organise investigations? Yes. Blood tests are an import part of the process of managing gender affirming hormone therapy. Other testing can also be arranged as needed. Is a referral required? No referral is required to book in. How many appointments will I need? If wanting to commence hormone therapy it takes at the very minimum two appointments. At the initial appointment it is about getting to know you and what your goals are, your medical history and discussing treatment options. Blood tests are ordered, and the consent form for treatment is discussed. At the second appointment the results from the blood tests are reviewed and treatment options including risks are again discussed. Some people will need more appointments to further investigate risk factors specific to them or to ask more questions. There is a need for ongoing review and follow up. If commencing hormone therapy you will need to be reviewed and have repeat blood tests every 3 months for the first year, then every 6 - 12 months for subsequent years. The follow ups are a chance to also review the treatment plan and discuss any side effects. How do I book? To book head to the booking page here. Select if you would like a video or telephone appointment and use the calendar to select an appointment time and enter your details. You will be sent an email with the booking details and link to change or cancel the appointment. If this is your first appointment please use the link below to fill in your details for the appointment https://www.ttgc.com.au/details.html. What happens at the first appointment? I am nervous. The aim of the appointments are to gather all of the relevant information to provide the best and safest gender care. It is all about figuring out what path ahead is going to meet your needs. The first appointment is used to get to know what you are interested in and gather information. One of the first questions is often 'Tell me about yourself....' This is a chance to share your story - who you are and what is important to you. If you don't like open ended questions and need more specific questions that is fine to let me know. Other topics include medical history, support networks that you have in place, fertility preservation and goals. It is a good idea to note down anything that you want to make sure you convey during the appointment to ensure that it is covered. It is also a great idea to note down any questions that you have. The aim is to provide trauma informed care and care that embraces neuro-divergence if relevant - different not less. This is about creating a safe space where you feel accepted as you are. |