Gender Affirming Health Care at Hampshire

Gender Affirming Care

Please call our office so we can set you up for an appointment: 413.559.5458.

Resources For Trans And Nonbinary Students

Counseling and Support Groups

• It’s important to have a supportive community. Call 413.559.5458 for more information or to participate in a support group at UMass. 
• Individual counseling is available to all Hampshire students and encouraged for students starting hormone therapy and transition. Call 413.559.5458 to schedule a mental health appointment at HCHCS. 

Change Name and Gender Markers

• At some point in your transition, you may want to change your name on campus through the Hub (which will change your name at Health and Counseling), and with your state and federal government. Depending on the state where you live, changing the gender marker on your state identification or license may require a letter from a provider. 
• Transequality.org is a one-stop hub for name and gender change information. Find out how to get a legal name change where you live and update your name/gender on state and federal IDs and records.
• A letter from a physician is required to change your Social Security or passport name and gender marker; HCHCS is happy to help you. It’s best to change your driver’s license first. The federal government consults a register of state driver’s licenses to speed the processing of federal forms. You do not need a letter from a health care provider in order to change your gender marker on a Massachusetts driver’s license.

Thinking about Surgery?

• If you need specialized health services such as electrolysis, surgery, or voice therapy, the staff at Health and Counseling can help you with referrals to area specialists and help direct you to the proper information regarding insurance coverage. 
• The Hampshire Student Health Insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield covers office visits, hormone therapy, and most gender-affirming surgeries. 

Campus and Community

• The Queer Community Alliance Center and the Center for Feminisms offer support and programming for LGBT students at Hampshire College and can be a great way to connect with other students. 
• The Stonewall Center at UMass Amherst hosts events and offers resources for everything from legal issues to recommended electrolysis services and area support groups. All events are currently virtual.
• The Trans and GNC group at UMass provides a confidential and supportive space to discuss topics related to identity, relationships, transitioning, intersectional identities, mental health, and other topics as they arise. The UMass group is open to students from all 5 colleges and is currently meeting via Zoom.