Wellstar Helps Women Stay Healthy at Every Age

With dedicated health resources and caring, compassionate providers, Wellstar is making primary care more accessible to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+).

Historically, many healthcare systems have not focused on the specific needs of the LGBTQ community. 

“The LGBTQ community has been marginalized by the healthcare system,” Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Gabriella Maris said. “There is a lack of providers who have adequate training to understand and treat their unique health risks.”

Wellstar believes every person should have access to safe, high-quality healthcare. At each of our primary care locations, we maintain a welcoming, non-judgmental environment to treat patients. Across Wellstar, we’re committed to providing inclusive medical services in a safe, comfortable space to make LGBTQ care more available.

Dedicated health experts for the LGBTQ community

Members of the LGBTQ community may be at a higher risk for certain medical issues.

For example, lesbian and bisexual women may be at increased risk for breast, cervical and ovarian cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. The American Psychiatric Association also shared that LGBTQ people are more likely to experience mental health concerns and use mental health services.

Treating these health concerns starts with trained providers who take a caring, compassionate approach to help patients stay healthy.

Wellstar provides primary care for the LGBTQ community, including wellness exams, chronic disease management, virtual appointments and other health screenings. We also offer special services for people who identify as LGBTQ including:

• Family planning and birth control
• Prenatal and OB/GYN care
• Pap smears for men and women
• Colposcopy and anoscopy
• Hormone therapy
• PrEP and nPEP treatment for HIV prevention
• Pediatric care

Gender-affirming care

Gender-affirming care is medical treatment that supports a patient’s gender identity when their identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. 

“Gender-affirming care has the ability to save lives,” said Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Danielle Ortega. “We know that a large percentage of transgender individuals, even starting in adolescence, have either suicidal intent or attempts in the past, and we know that gender-affirming care, when appropriate, improves mental health and prevents suicide.”

Active partners in your care

Wellstar physicians provide great care to patients and our health experts are dedicated to being a true partner in your wellness journey.

“I want for patients to know that Wellstar is their medical home—for them to feel comfortable when they walk in our door and for them to know that this is going to be a clinic that is not judgmental, is truly empathic and is here to help them in whatever way we can,” Dr. Maris said. 

Our primary care team puts patients at the center of their care, presenting them with all their options and working with them to decide how to accomplish their goals.

“I get to know patients and understand what their goals are, what their hopes are, who their supports are, what their job entails, what their community is like and, specifically, what their goals are in relation to their health,” Dr. Ortega said.

Find a Wellstar primary care location near you. Learn more about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Wellstar.

Quick history lesson: In the 1990s, U.S. doctors adopted the prostate-specific antigen test—or PSA—to identify prostate cancer early, when it’s more treatable. While the PSA helped more men get diagnosed, concern was raised over the risks versus benefits of biopsies, procedures and treatment. In response, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force gave a controversial recommendation against routine screening with PSA in 2012.

But with new evidence from a variety of credible studies, they changed their recommendation in 2017. The current Task Force recommendation focuses on men having a conversation with their doctors about their risk for prostate cancer and the risks and benefits of screening.

Why did the guidelines change?

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in males after skin cancer. The American Cancer Society projects that there will be more than twice as many prostate cancer cases diagnosed in men as lung cancer this year.

“The prevalence of the disease cannot be ignored,” said Dr. Jeffrey Tharp, a primary care physician and chief medicine division officer for Wellstar Medical Group. “Early-stage prostate cancer has higher survivability than prostate cancer diagnosed in later stages.”

Dr. Tharp pointed out that while guidelines have changed, so have the way doctors diagnose and treat prostate cancer. An elevated PSA does not automatically mean a cancer diagnosis. And when cancer is diagnosed, some care options have no side effects.

Read on to learn:

• Who should have a conversation with their doctor about prostate cancer screening, and when
• Who is at higher risk
• How the reason that’s holding some men back has changed
• What is a PSA and why having them at regular intervals is important
• Care options for prostate cancer