How We Care for and Support the LGBTQ+ Community
We value diversity, which is why we've taken steps to ensure we provide the best possible care and experience to everyone.
Gender Inclusive Restrooms
Patients and visitors can use restrooms at Duke that correspond with their gender identity. If you are visiting our hospitals or clinics, you’ll find gender neutral, single-stall restrooms. For the university and medical campus in Durham, you can also review a full list of gender inclusive restrooms as well as find one on this map.
Duke OutList
The Duke Health OutList includes openly LGBTQ+ and ally health care professionals and is a resource to students, staff, and providers for informal mentorship, research, and scholarships related to sexual and gender diverse health issues and education. All information is voluntarily provided.
Employee Training Opportunities
Our health care professionals and staff undergo annual training to continually understand the needs of LGBTQ+ patients. This ensures we provide high-quality, knowledgeable LGBTQ+ specific care to all patients with dignity and respect.
We also provide funding and support to Duke’s Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, which offers training to everyone at Duke. This includes a gender pronoun workshop and resource guide, which helps our community understand the value and importance of properly using pronouns and how that can create inclusive spaces for transgender and non-binary people.
In addition:
- We’ve adapted gender identity designation in electronic health records.
- We offer pronoun stickers for Duke ID badges to help reduce misgendering and make our patients and their families feel safer and welcome.
- We established an LGBTQ+ affinity group to support the LGBTQ+ community, friends, and advocates.
LGBTQ+ Health Services at Duke
Primary Care
Treating our patients and their loved ones with respect is a core value at Duke. In addition to thoughtful care at any of our Duke Primary Care clinics, the Duke Family Medicine Center offers primary care services tailored to the preferences and unique needs of LGBTQ+ patients.
Specialty Care
Comprehensive care starts with establishing goals with your provider, and consultations with specialists Comprehensive care starts with establishing goals with your provider, and consultations with specialists who bring expertise to meet your health care needs and goals. Duke specialists provide gender-affirming therapy to adults and adolescents, PrEP for people at high risk for HIV infection, and gynecological care, including birth control and STD testing.
Reproductive Health
Transgender and non-binary adolescent and adult patients assigned female gender at birth can be seen at Duke Gynecology Clinic - Clinic 1J (Duke Family Planning Clinic). The safe environment is designed to be gender-neutral in appearance. Its staff and providers have undergone enhanced training in LGBTQ+ care. This clinic provides treatments for bleeding management, contraception options, and consultation for gender-affirming surgical procedures.
If you’re pregnant or planning to be, we provide low-risk prenatal care, including one-on-one and group prenatal support. The Duke Fertility Center offers a comprehensive program for LGBTQ+ couples who wish to conceive. Our fertility specialists recommend fertility treatments and other options such as egg or sperm donors and surrogates.
Talking to Your Health Care Provider About Being LGBTQ+
Duke Health is committed to providing equitable care to everyone. Sharing information about sexual orientation and gender identity can help our providers address the unique health risks often faced by the LGBTQ+ community, which include problems with mental health and sexually transmitted infections. Learn more about why it's important to share this information and read our frequently asked questions about sharing personal information.
