If you're a young person, or caring for someone, who is trans or gender diverse, or feeling uncomfortable or distressed about your gender, we encourage you to talk to your GP. They can offer support from a healthcare provider and help connect you with the PGS and other services to support your gender journey.

GPs can find referral information for PGS at:

https://www.canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au/health-professionals/refer-a-patient-to-our-services

When you arrive at PGS you will be greeted by our administrative staff, who will check you in and confirm your name and contact details. Please let us know if you wish to change your preferred name on your health record for your future appointments. If we change your name, this name will then be used across all Canberra Health Service settings.

If your appointment is via telehealth, you will be sent an email with a link to your appointment. All contact information will be included in the email.

You will also be sent a reminder for your appointment the week before. You are encouraged to confirm your appointment prior to attending.

At your first appointment you will meet with two of our team members; usually our Social Worker and Nurse. This appointment is an opportunity to talk about your experiences, goals and to learn more about the PGS and gender affirming care in the ACT.

Your first appointment will generally be 90 minutes, however this can be shortened based on your needs on the day.

At your first appointment, we will work together to identify how the PGS and other service providers, may be able to support you to achieve your goals.

The PGS medical team do not routinely perform physical examinations of genitals or chests. We understand that talking about bodies can be difficult for many young people. We provide choices about the most comfortable way to establish information about your physical body.

You are very welcome to attend an intake appointment or request a phone call from one of our staff to discuss our service and whether it is appropriate for your needs.

If you would like to change your legal name and sex on your Digital Health Record (DHR) please bring a copy of your birth certificate to your appointment and let our staff know you would like this to be changed.

If you would like to change your preferred name and/or gender on DHR, any of our staff members can help with this.

Being gender diverse or transgender is experienced and expressed by individuals in many ways, and not everyone will seek medical affirmation. Meaning that for some gender affirming care solely encompasses psychosocial support and/or socially transitioning is their primary goal. It is important for them to be affirmed as who they are and know themselves to be.

Our social worker and psychologists provide information and support to young people and their families, to assist in navigating what is important for them on their gender journey. This may include:

• Gender identity counselling for young people who would like to further explore their gender identity and gender expression.
• Family support, school liaison, social transition support and education on gender affirming practices.
• You can also find helpful resources and information in the Resources Tabs below.

There is no right or wrong way to be trans or gender diverse, and pursuing medical treatment is not a requirement. In this service we seek to place young people as the experts about what would be affirming for them, setting aside our own preconceptions about this. We seek to explore what would be affirming for a young person’s gender and what physical changes may or may not assist with this, and create a tailored pathway towards this, which meets our clinical governance standards. Medical affirmation does not need to be a part of this to access support from our service.

Our wait times vary based off our triage criteria. Therefore, your wait for our intake appointment might be different to someone else.

Please ask our Administration Staff about our current wait times.

Reviewing resources and information can be helpful for some people. We recommend looking at the ‘Resources’ tab below.

Thinking about your questions and what information you and your family want to know.

We offer free, publicly-funded and confidential appointments under Medicare. If you are not eligible for Medicare, please call to discuss your situation with our team.

A GP is integral to your care. We encourage you to find a GP who you feel comfortable with and supported by. At the PGS we encourage your GP to participate in your care, provide ongoing prescriptions and continue ongoing monitoring.

If you currently do not have a General Practitioner and wish to find one that is trans and gender diverse affirming, these websites provide details of local GPs who are gender affirming.

Trans Hub ‘Find a Doc’  https://www.transhub.org.au/

AusPATH Providers Page  https://auspath.org.au/providers/

The PGS will provide continuation of care up to the age of 18 years if necessary. Our aim is to transfer your care to either the Adult Gender Service or your GP for ongoing care and support.

The PGS is actively involved in research that helps improve care for trans and gender diverse young people. By working with young people and following their experiences over time, we're learning what kinds of support—like mental health care, social affirmation, and medical options—make the biggest difference. This research helps doctors, schools, and families understand how to support young people in ways that are safe, respectful, and backed by evidence.

Research is voluntary and your information will not be used without your consent.