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About LGBTQIA+ Healthcare

This page provides healthcare resources for LGBTQIA+ CUNY students and allies, including general healthcare services, sexual and reproductive care, mental health support, gender-affirming resources, and free or low-cost clinics throughout New York City. Many LGBTQIA+ individuals face barriers to healthcare due to discrimination, cost, lack of insurance, limited access to affirming providers, and fear of unsafe or judgmental environments. This page is designed to help students find accessible, inclusive, and affirming healthcare resources while better understanding their healthcare rights and support options.

What You’ll Find Here

  • General healthcare services
  • Sexual and reproductive healthcare
  • LGBTQIA+-affirming providers
  • Gender-affirming healthcare resources
  • Mental health and wellness support
  • Free and low-cost healthcare options
  • Legal and healthcare rights information

General Healthcare Services

CUNY Student Health Services
  • Many CUNY campuses provide student health services, including:
    • Basic medical care
    • Wellness checkups
    • Immunizations
    • Health education
    • Referrals to specialists
    • Mental health support
  • Services vary by campus but are often free or low-cost for enrolled students.
NYC Health + Hospitals
  • Provides low-cost and sliding-scale healthcare services across NYC, including:
    • Primary care
    • Emergency care
    • Mental health services
    • LGBTQIA+ affirming healthcare
    • Insurance enrollment assistance
  • Many locations accept uninsured patients.
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
  • One of NYC’s largest LGBTQIA+ affirming healthcare providers.
    • Services include:
      • Primary healthcare
      • HIV/STI testing and treatment
      • Sexual health services
      • Gender-affirming care
      • Mental health counseling
      • Pharmacy services
  • Care is available regardless of insurance status in many cases.

Sexual & Reproductive Health Resources

Planned Parenthood Provides:
  • STI testing
  • Birth control
  • Emergency contraception
  • Pregnancy testing
  • Gender-affirming hormone care at select locations
  • Sexual health education
  • Sliding-scale and low-cost services are available.
The Door
  • Offers healthcare services for young people ages 12–24, including:
    • Reproductive healthcare
    • HIV/STI testing
    • Mental health counseling
    • LGBTQIA+ support services
    • Health education
Housing Works Provides:
  • HIV/AIDS healthcare and support
  • STI testing
  • Sexual wellness services
  • Case management
  • Behavioral health support

LGBTQIA+-Affirming Care

Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery

Provides gender-affirming healthcare services, including:
  • Hormone therapy
  • Surgical consultations
  • Primary care
  • Mental health support
  • Care coordination

Apicha Community Health Center

Offers culturally competent and LGBTQIA+-affirming healthcare services, including:
  • Primary care
  • HIV prevention and treatment
  • Mental health services
  • Sexual health services
  • Transgender healthcare support

Destination Tomorrow

Provides LGBTQIA+ community support, including:
  • Healthcare referrals
  • Wellness programming
  • Peer support
  • Housing and case management referrals

Mental Health & Wellness Support

CUNY Counseling Services
  • Most CUNY campuses offer:
    • Free counseling sessions
    • Crisis support
    • Stress and anxiety management
    • Referrals to LGBTQIA+-affirming therapists
    • Wellness workshops
The Trevor Project
  • Provides:
    • LGBTQIA+ crisis intervention
    • Suicide prevention support
    • Peer and mental health resources
    • 24/7 text and chat support

Legal & Healthcare Rights Support

Students have healthcare rights regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

This section may include information on:
  • Patient privacy rights
  • Gender identity protections
  • Access to affirming care
  • Insurance discrimination protections
  • Consent and confidentiality rights
  • Name and gender marker updates

Helpful organizations include:

  • Lambda Legal
  • Legal Services NYC
  • New York Civil Liberties Union

Why This Page Matters

LGBTQIA+ students deserve safe, affirming, and accessible healthcare. Many students face barriers related to cost, discrimination, lack of insurance, or difficulty finding inclusive providers. Centralizing these resources can help students better navigate healthcare systems, access support earlier, and feel more informed and empowered when seeking care.

This website was created through the collaborative efforts of the 2026 LGBTQIA+ Health Fellows Program, an initiative founded and developed through the leadership and vision of Dr. Jan Oosting, Associate Professor, Nursing; Mateo Tebar, LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Assistant; and Anthony Sweeney, Associate Director of Student Life. Special recognition is extended to Tiya Williams, LGBTQIA+ Health Fellows Program College Assistant, for coordinating resources and supporting the website development. Additional recognition goes to Jesse Evans-Rice, Open Lab Manager, and Christina Chala, CUNY Central’s Student Inclusion Office Manager, for their guidance, support, and contributions throughout the project. Their collective dedication and commitment helped make this resource possible, and it will continue to support the community for years to come.

This project is made possible due to generous funding from the New York City Council Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual Caucus and the Office of the Mayor, and supported by The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives.