Gender-affirming care services at Health & Wellness

The medical and mental health clinics at Health & Wellness support you with a range of gender-affirming medical and mental health care services no matter what stage of transition you are at.

Family medicine physicians at Health & Wellness provide gender-affirming medical care through assessment, advice and treatment regarding medical transition with hormone therapy. This includes both new assessments and ongoing care. They can also provide documentation (including referrals) to support access to medical transition-related and gender-affirming surgery. Nurses at Health & Wellness provide gender-affirming medical care by performing injections and teaching clients to self-inject hormones. Please refer to the Service Fees section below for more information on costs and coverage.

Staff and clinicians at Health & Wellness recognize that there are many ways non-binary and trans people identify and present. We focus on shared decision making and an informed consent model. We acknowledge that historically health care providers have been seen as “gatekeepers” to access care and we are trying to move away from that.

Assessment and health insurance coverage

Although there is no singular gender narrative, we do assess for symptoms of dysphoria (according to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health guidelines) without necessarily labeling it as a diagnosis when proceeding with providing care. OHIP and UHIP require a diagnosis of gender dysphoria in order to provide funding for gender-affirming surgical care. If you do not have OHIP or UHIP coverage, but do have coverage in another Canadian province, we will work with you to identify the process to access funding to meet your care needs, as coverage for gender-affirming surgery varies from province to province. Please note your extended health plan may also require a similar diagnosis for you to access certain benefits. Your student union manages the extended health plans. Contact them about what your extended health plan covers and how to submit a claim.

Please note that our health and mental health care services are only available to students residing in Ontario (students must be present within the province of Ontario at the time of receiving care from Health & Wellness).

To ensure there is sufficient time, please request a 30-minute appointment for your first visit. When asked, please say it is for an appointment related to gender-affirming care so we can book you with someone who specializes in this care. During registration, inform staff of your name(s) and any pronouns you use if you would like us to be aware of them; these will be noted in your medical records and respected by Health & Wellness staff. (Note that the legal name that appears on your health insurance card is required and will remain in our system for billing purposes.)

Mental health support

Mental health clinicians at Health & Wellness offer support for students who are contemplating transition, are transitioning, or have transitioned, as well as 2SLGBTQ+ students seeking other types of support. Find more information about mental health services available at Health & Wellness. Please note that Health & Wellness does not require a mental health screening or diagnosis for access to gender-affirming care.

For immediate assistance outside of office hours, please call U of T Telus Health Student Support at 1-844-451-9700.

A note on privacy and the release of information

Health & Wellness (Student Health Service) cannot release information about you, the type of services you access, and the content of your appointments to anyone (including family) without your written permission.

The law does require clinicians to disclose personal health information to authorities in or outside the University in some extremely exceptional cases:

There is concern that you may physically harm yourself or someone else.
You reveal potential child abuse or neglect.
You report sexual abuse by a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, or a regulated health professional.
Your physician determines that you have a medical condition that impairs your ability to operate a motor vehicle.
A court requires your records or that your clinician or counselor testify.

If you have any further questions about confidentiality, you will have an opportunity to ask them during your visit.

You can also access further information about our privacy and confidentiality policy and learn more about our other policies in the Privacy and Policies section below.

Service Eligibility
- Full-time and part-time University of Toronto undergraduate and graduate students who have paid the appropriate incidental fees.
- Toronto School of Theology undergraduate students in the conjoint full-time basic degree program.
PLEASE NOTE: All of our health care providers are licensed to practice in Ontario only.

Read the full Health & Wellness Eligibility Policy.
Service Fees

For students accessing gender-affirming care services through Health & Wellness, there is no charge for the services we are providing. However, there are sometimes associated costs for things like HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and surgeries that are not covered by Health & Wellness. You may need to consult with your student union or your extended health care plan provider for more information about those costs and the coverage provided.
Booking & Documentation

Check the Health & Wellness hours of operation.

To ensure there is sufficient time, please request a 30-minute appointment for your first visit. When asked, please say it is for an appointment related to gender-affirming care so we can book you with someone who specializes in this care.

If you have received gender-affirming care services in the past outside of the Health & Wellness Centre, you may be asked to provide a copy of your records when and where possible.

If you are a new patient at Health & Wellness, learn more about the Health & Wellness Centre and how to book appointments.
Privacy & Policies
A note on privacy and the release of information:

Health & Wellness (Student Health Service) cannot release information about you, the type of services you access, and the content of your appointments to anyone (including family) without your written permission.

The law does require clinicians to disclose personal health information to authorities in or outside the University in some extremely exceptional cases:
- There is concern that you may physically harm yourself or someone else.
- You reveal potential child abuse or neglect.
- You report sexual abuse by a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, or a regulated health professional.
- Your physician determines that you have a medical condition that impairs your ability to operate a motor vehicle.
- A court requires your records or that your clinician or counselor testify.
If you have any further questions about confidentiality, you will have an opportunity to ask them during your visit.

You can also access further information about our privacy and confidentiality policy.

A reminder for U of T students: Seeking out mental health care at Health and Wellness will not put you at risk of being placed on a supportive leave through the Supportive Leaves policy.

Demystifying the Supportive Leaves Policy