PATH clinic for pediatric gender identity: Supporting transgender, nonbinary, gender questioning and gender diverse youth

We educate your family about medical care options and resources for your child. Our team offers a full range of care and support based on the needs of the child and family. This ranges from observation, advocacy, and guidance to puberty suppression and gender-affirming hormone therapy.

We do not perform genital surgery on patients under age 18. Chest masculinization surgery for patients under age 18 is considered only after multidisciplinary evaluation, a letter of support from your mental health provider and with informed consent from all legal guardians.

We are proud to be named a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality by The Human Rights Campaign Foundation. 

The UW Health adult and pediatric gender services teams follow the standards of care from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

Before your first visit to the PATH Clinic, you talk with our nurse coordinator who introduces you to our services and obtains background information about your child.

At your child’s first visit, a medical assistant will check their blood pressure, heart rate, height and weight. You then meet with the doctor about your child’s specific condition and health goals. We also offer telehealth visits. Our team will help determine whether that it is an appropriate option for your family's initial or follow-up visit.

If your child is a candidate for hormone treatments, you’ll need to provide mental health documentation of readiness for hormone therapy. We can refer you to a mental health provider if that would be helpful.

Personalized support and treatments

We work with your child and family to find treatments that meet your child’s individual needs. Treatments we offer include:

• Gender-affirming hormone therapy

• Hormone/puberty suppression

• Mental health counseling

• Support services for kids and families

The comfort of your child and family is our top priority. We connect you to other children, teens and families with related experiences. We encourage children and parents to ask questions and voice any concerns.

They include:

• Learn about needs of transgender young people in our state in our community needs assessment.

The Transgender Youth Resource Network grew from a partnership between UW Health and GSafe. GSafe advocates for just schools for LGBTQ+ youth. The network aims to provide education for medical and mental health providers, supports youth and families and advocates for accessible transgender care