
Child & Adolescent Gender Center
The UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Center (CAGC) offers comprehensive medical and psychological care, as well as advocacy and legal support, to transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children and adolescents. We bring together experts from both UCSF and elsewhere to promote gender health and positive outcomes for children and adolescents exploring gender identity and expression. The CAGC accepts new patients ages 3 through 17. Prior to the onset of puberty, our care focuses strictly on social and emotional development and we don’t offer gender-affirming medical treatments. Once a patient reaches puberty, gender-affirming medical treatments may be considered following a thorough mental health assessment by a gender specialist.
Our program is housed within the UCSF Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, enabling us to offer the most advanced medical care. If appropriate, and only in adolescents who have begun puberty, treatment may include gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (puberty blockers), medications that can safely suppress pubertal changes by blocking production of the principal sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone. This fully reversible treatment gives young people time to achieve greater awareness of their gender identity without going through irreversible physical changes that may not align with their gender identity. For adolescents seeking gender care support at our clinic, our experts may prescribe gender-affirming sex hormones only after a mental health assessment by a gender specialist.
The CAGC does not provide gender-affirming surgeries. We refer older adolescents or young adults who are considering gender-affirming surgery to medical providers outside the CAGC.
The CAGC has locations in San Francisco, Oakland, San Mateo and San Ramon. For more information, call (415) 885-7770.
Adults can receive care from the UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program. Please call (415) 885-7770 for information.
Our team
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Janet Lee
MD, MPH, MAS
Endocrinologist -
Stephen M. Rosenthal
MD
Pediatric endocrinologist -
Stanley Vance Jr.
MD
Adolescent medicine specialist -
Diane Ehrensaft
PhD
Psychologist -
Kristin Avicolli
LCSW
Social worker -
Andrea E. Pedersen
NP, MSN
Pediatric nurse practitioner -
Meredith R. Russell
PNP, DNP, MSN
Pediatric nurse practitioner
Awards & recognition
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One of the nation's best in diabetes & endocrinology
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Ranked among the nation's best in 10 specialties
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- Photo I.D.
- Health insurance card
- Insurance authorization, if required
- Doctor's referral, if required
- Recent test results related to your child's condition
- List of medications, including dosages, plus any your child is allergic to
- List of questions you may have
- Device or paper for taking notes
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