Planned Parenthood in Maine Commemorates Transgender Awareness Week, Highlights Need for Inclusive, Compassionate Care

Portland, Maine –– During Transgender Awareness Week, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England reaffirms its commitment to serving all people with care and respect by allowing people to be who they are, and by providing them with a supportive, inclusive, and nonjudgmental health care environment.

“This November, and every day of the year, Planned Parenthood stands with transgender people. We see you. We care about you. We stand in solidarity with you — no matter who you are, no matter what,” said Nicole Clegg, Vice President of Public Policy for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in Maine. “Our services and programs are open to people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Our goal, every day, is to make each person who comes through our doors feel welcome, comfortable, and cared for while providing the best possible care.”

Andrew G. first came to Planned Parenthood’s Portland health center two years ago and writes, “Scared of outing myself as trans, I nervously came in for my first appointment to finally be looked at as an actual person...With every appointment since then, I have been greeted by professionals with positive outlooks and the ability to calm my nerves.”

“Everyone at [Planned Parenthood] has been extremely respectful of my gender identity,” said Angelica P, another Planned Parenthood patient. “I don’t know where I would go without Planned Parenthood.”

Transgender Awareness Week is dedicated to educating people about the transgender community and raising awareness of the issues facing transgender and gender nonconforming people.  

Transgender people face many barriers and challenges when accessing health care. A 2015 national survey of transgender and gender nonconforming people found that 1 in 3 respondents reported having at least one negative experience with a health care provider in the past year related to being transgender, including verbal harassment, being refused treatment, or having to teach the health care provider about transgender people to receive appropriate care and nearly 1 in 4 respondents did not see a doctor when they needed to in the past year because of fear of being mistreated as a transgender person.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England offers hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at each of its 21 health centers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. PPNNE health centers make up nearly ⅓ of Planned Parenthood affiliate health centers offering HRT.

Planned Parenthood patient Jane F. said, “[Planned Parenthood] is the quickest, most affordable, most accessible source of Hormone Replacement Therapy available in Maine...Thanks to [Planned Parenthood], I am no longer afraid to leave the house; I love myself.”

A 2015 national survey of transgender and gender nonconforming people found that 78 percent of respondents wanted to receive hormone therapy at some point in their life, but only 49 percent have ever received it.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate, serving 2.4 million patients through its health centers, and 1.5 million people through education and outreach each year.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England’s four health centers in Maine offer a wide variety of preventive health services, and more than 10,000 patients annually depend on PPNNE for quality, affordable health care. Visit plannedparenthood.org to find the health center nearest you.

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