LGBTQ+ Health

Campus Health is committed to providing caring, high quality, and confidential services to our campus community, inclusive of all sexual orientations, romantic orientations, and gender identities.

To meet the health and wellness needs of all campus community members, the various Campus Health offices provide numerous programs and services specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you need primary care, preventive health services, mental health care, or you are looking for general health and wellness information, our staff of physicians, nurse practitioners, therapists, health educators, and other health professionals are ready to help.

LGBTQ+ Health & Wellness Collaborative Team

Tulane has an interdisciplinary workgroup that meets regularly with the goal of enhancing the health and wellness of Tulane’s LGBTQ+ students. The members of this team all have training and experience in working with LGBTQ+ individuals and several are LGBTQ+ identified themselves. This team provides direct physical and mental health services to LGBTQ+ students, training and consultation for other staff members, and inclusive wellness programming. 

Tips for LGBTQ+ students and other visitors to Campus Health

• Communication: When students call to make an appointment, we ask a few questions to best match them with a clinician. We invite you to talk openly and honestly with Campus Health staff when scheduling and share any concerns you may have. Also, please share your name and pronouns with us when scheduling and at your appointment. During your visit, you will be asked questions related to your health and the reason for your visit. This may include the health histories of both you and your family, your behaviors or lack of, including your use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, your sexual behavior, and any situations involving sexual or intimate partner violence. The clinician's request for sensitive information is part of the experience for all patients/students when establishing a professional working relationship, regardless of an individual's sexual orientation/romantic orientation/ gender identity. This information is vital to the clinician’s ability to provide the best services and care for each person.

• Confidentiality: All Campus Health services are confidential by law. This means that no one, including family members and teachers, can access your personal health information without your written consent. For more information about confidentiality and its limits, talk with your Campus Health healthcare provider.

• Prepare for your visit: It’s common for students to arrive at a health appointment and forget some of the questions they had. You can make the best use of your time by writing down questions before your arrival and bringing them to your visit. Keep your own documentation: Maintaining copies of your health information is a good way to take ownership of your body, health and health care. Keep a record of what happened at each visit plus anything you want to follow up on.

• Give us your feedback: We invite all students to share your experience with Campus Health. Feedback provides important learning opportunities for our staff and helps us determine ways to improve and expand our services. It also helps us recognize the areas in which we are doing good work (and should keep doing it)! We address all complaints. The more specific you are, the better we will be able to address your problem. If you choose to include your name and a means to contact you, we will follow up with you.

Provide feedback to Campus Health online.

LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
The clinicians at the Health Center provide an array of services for people of all body types for the most common sexual and reproductive health needs including STI testing, birth control and contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, counseling on sexual dysfunction, and annual preventative care such as pap smears, breast exams, and gynecological exams. For more specific information about Health Center services, please click here. 

PrEP
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) can help lower the risk of acquiring HIV.  PrEP, taken as a daily pill, has been shown to benefit people who do not have HIV and may be at risk of exposure to the virus (through sexual contact or sharing injecting drug equipment). It involves daily medication, medical follow-up, and blood testing every three months. To discuss PrEP with a provider, please make an appointment with the Health Center.

Free Emergency Contraception
Tulane and Loyola students may walk into the pharmacy on the third floor of the Student Health Center and receive free emergency contraction during open business hours. Students are not required to have a health insurance plan nor do they need a prescription to access the emergency contraception. 

Free Safer Sex Supplies
The Well for Health Promotion provides free safer sex supplies, including internal and external condoms, dental dams, and lubricant (lube) to all Tulane students. Pick up supplies for yourself from the bins outside The Well offices (The Health Center, second entrance) or from the following residence halls: Aron, Butler, Greenbaum, Irby, JOLO, Mayer, Monroe, Phelps, Sharp, SoHo (Weatherhead), Wall, Warren, and Willow.

Especially for Trans and Non-Binary Students

Transgender Health Services
Developing a clinical staff to meet your needs is a priority of Campus Health. For acute and primary care concerns, a regular clinic appointment is available to those receiving transgender services. If you feel more comfortable seeing certain providers, please call our front desk to indicate your preferences. For more information about Campus Health's transgender health services, please click here.

Name and Pronouns
For billing and reimbursement, it is important that your selection of sex in the medical record needs to mirror the sex which the payer (e.g. health insurance) has on file. This agreement will help you to ensure insurance will cover the appointment. If you are confused about this process, please ask your provider to clarify what is on file to ensure more effective insurance coverage.

If your legal name and/or gender differs from the name or pronouns you use, our electronic medical record system allows students to note their name and pronouns. If you would like to make a change, you can in the following ways:

1. Update your personal information in the Patient Portal.
2. Provide your chosen name and pronouns when prompted at the self check-in Kiosk at the Student Health Center and The Counseling Center.
3. Ask the scheduler that makes your appointment or your provider during your visit to make the required corrections or changes.

All Gender Bathrooms
Single stall, all gender, lockable restrooms are located on all floors of The Health Center Uptown. The nearest single stall restrooms to The Counseling Center are in the next building on the first floor of the Riley Recreation Center. 

LGBTQ+ Health & Wellness Resources

We invite you to explore the many wonderful resources used nationwide. Please peruse this section for more information on LGBTQ+ sexual health and general health and wellness.

On Campus

• The Office for Gender & Sexual Diversity
• Trans at TU

Lesbian & Bisexual Women's Health & Wellness

• Center for Disease Control: Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Health
• Ten Things Lesbians Should Talk About with Their Healthcare provider

Gay & Bisexual Men's Health & Wellness

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Gay & Bisexual Men’s Health
• Ten Things Gay Men Should Talk About with Their Healthcare Provider
• Health Issues for Gay Men: Tips to Stay Healthy

Transgender Health & Wellness

• Ten Things Transgender Persons Should Discuss With their Healthcare Provider
• Whitman Walker: Safer Sex for Trans Bodies
• USCF Center of Excellence for Transgender Health provides numerous resources and fact sheets for transgender health
• I'm trans. Do I need birth control?
• Ask A Gender Therapist: How Do I Know if I'm Transgender?
• Trans Lifeline-- Peer Support