Comprehensive Gynecological Care Services

The UCLA Gender Health Program and our gynecology specialists offer the following comprehensive care services:

Pap smears and pelvic exams: For patients who have not undergone a total hysterectomy, screening for cervical cancer is an important component of health care and disease prevention. Cervical cancer screening begins at 21 years of age for all patients who have a cervix. It is recommended that routine screening is performed every 3-5 years as long as results are normal. Gender diverse patients are at increased risk of not having routine screening. At UCLA, we understand that undergoing cervical cancer screening can be anxiety provoking and uncomfortable. We work with patients in our office to ensure a comfortable and understanding environment to have these basic screenings done.

STI Screens: We offer screening for all sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomonas, syphilis, hepatitis, and HIV. Many of these tests can be done via blood and urine sampling.

Chest Exams: For patients who have not undergone mastectomy, routine clinical chest exams, as well as regular breast cancer screening, is an important component of cancer prevention. For patients who have undergone mastectomy, the risk of cancer in any residual breast tissue is unknown. It is recommended that patients seek care for any new or unusual chest complaints, as mammograms or breast MRI can still be performed to evaluate for any new diseases.

Contraceptive Management: For gender diverse patients who have not undergone a total hysterectomy and who desire to avoid pregnancy, we offer a variety of different contraceptive options including pills, subdermal implants, hormonal injections, and intrauterine devices. Contraceptive devices can be placed in the office, usually during a 15-minute visit. Many of the long-acting reversible contraceptive devices are functional for 5 to 8 years, and require little maintenance after insertion.

Menstrual Suppression: For patients who desire cessation of menstrual cycles, we offer a variety of hormonal methods, similar to contraceptive management, and additional procedures.

Evaluation of abnormal bleeding: Gender diverse patients can have irregular bleeding patterns, regardless of whether or not they are taking hormones. The bleeding can often be attributed to changes in the type or dosing of hormone treatment. However, it is important that patients seek Gynecologic care for irregular bleeding patterns or onset of new heavy bleeding. Non-hormonal causes for irregular bleeding include uterine polyps, fibroids, or rarely cancer. Gynecologists can evaluate for this by performing a pelvic exam and often an ultrasound (either transvaginal, abdominal, or translabial). The management of these causes varies widely depending upon the findings.

Preconception counseling: Patients who desire to carry a pregnancy should be evaluated prior to conceiving to ensure that their vaccines, STI screenings, blood work, and general health is in good condition.

Obstetric Care: For patients who desire to bear children, we offer complete prenatal care including ultrasounds, genetic screening, and collaboration with Maternal Fetal Medicine doctors to care for our pregnant patients and their babies. Both our outpatient offices and our Labor and Delivery suites are sensitive to gender diverse patients who desire to carry a pregnancy, and we strive to ensure that patients deliver in a comfortable and supportive environment.

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