Transgender Communities are Part of the Planned Parenthood Family

WASHINGTON, DC — This Transgender Awareness Week, and every day of the year, Planned Parenthood stands with transgender people. Planned Parenthood believes people of all gender identities deserve civil and human rights, including the right to high-quality, affordable health care and sex education that includes transgender people’s identities and experiences.  

In the wake of reports of the Trump-Pence administration’s offensive and discriminatory plans to gut federal civil rights protections for transgender people by defining gender as binary, unchangeable, and determined by one’s genitals at birth, Planned Parenthood’s message is clear: We see you. We care about you. We stand in solidarity with you — no matter what.

Statement from Dr. Leana Wen, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund:

Transgender and gender non-conforming people are our patients, our staff, and our supporters — these communities are a part of the Planned Parenthood family and they won’t be erased. We know that when people are truly cared for, they make their lives, their families, and their communities better and healthier. We’re proud to serve transgender communities with inclusive, quality health care and sex education, and we join LGBTQ advocates nationwide in calling on Congress to fight against these inhumane attacks by passing the Equality Act, which would rightfully cement civil rights protections for LGBTQ communities.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America is proud to provide sexual and reproductive health care that is inclusive, compassionate, and non-judgmental — including cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, birth control, and hormone therapy in 28 states — to transgender people in communities across the country. Some health centers also offer puberty blockers. 

A 2015 national survey of transgender and gender nonconforming people found that 33 percent of 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 in order to receive appropriate care. As health care providers, educators, and advocates, Planned Parenthood is committed to serving all people in our communities with care and respect.

###

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.