What Health Services Can Offer to Queer and Trans Students

• Primary care, gynecologic care, and wellness services.

• Gender-affirming hormone therapy instruction and injection once prescribed by a specialty healthcare provider in the community.  

  • URI HS can assist you with a referral to a specialist in our community to initiate hormone therapy.

• Gender-affirming gynecological and sexual health care, including cervical cancer screening/pelvic exams.

• Referrals for gender-affirming surgery to a specialist in the community.

• Referrals to specialists and other trans-competent healthcare providers in Rhode Island or requested state/area.

• If you require injections, the healthcare provider or a nurse will teach you a safe injection technique and/or provide them for you until you are fully comfortable with self-administration.

• At all of these appointments, your provider will continue to promote health and wellness. (This is something we do for all of our patients.) You will be counseled on healthy diet and exercise habits, appropriate immunizations, STI & HIV testing and pregnancy prevention. (if applicable).

• Our laboratory can perform routine labs for individuals on hormone therapy once ordered by healthcare provider.

• Remember:

  • All services are confidential.

  • There are no copayments required for medical visits for eligible services. However, lab and X-ray charges may be the student’s responsibility following health insurance processing.

  • It doesn’t matter which health insurance plan you are covered under, you can still be seen at URI HS.

  • All full-time students are eligible to be seen (covered under the Health Service fee). Part-time students may pay the Health Service fee if they wish to be seen here.

Other Queer Healthcare Services

• LGBTQ+ inclusive preventive care and well-adult visits/physicals

• Judgment-free STI prevention counseling

• Free condoms (just ask at URI Health Promotion)

• Free and confidential rapid HIV testing monthly, or on-demand for low cost

• Prescriptions for PEP (HIV post-exposure prophylaxis)

• Prescriptions for PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis)

• Multi-site testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia (genital, throat, rectal)

• Syphilis screening

• Hepatitis A, B, and C screening

• Vaccinations for Hep A, Hep B, Meningitis, Meningitis B, and HPV for all genders

• Evaluation and treatment of STIs such as genital warts

• Cervical cancer screening and evaluation of abnormal cervical Pap tests

• Anal Pap testing if clinically needed

Health Services Fees/Payment

This information is from the URI Health Services website, more information can be found there:  https://web.uri.edu/healthservices/insurance/ 

The Health Services fee is mandatory for all full time students, this is what it covers:

• Office visits with URI Health Services providers

• Free or reduced cost over the counter medications such as ibuprofen, Tylenol, cough syrup, cough drops, cold medicine

• Health promotion and prevention programs

• Free Flu Clinics and Health Fairs

• URI Emergency Medical Services (URI EMS) Ambulance—24/7/365

For recent graduates:

Coverage expires August 31st of the year you graduate, but HealthSource RI (HSRI), Rhode Island’s state-based health coverage marketplace, is here to help connect you to a quality, no-cost or low-cost plan – with huge savings on your monthly coverage costs! In fact, six out of seven HSRI customers receive financial help to lower their monthly payments.

To learn more including how to enroll in coverage, visit HealthSourceRI.com/SEP.

URI Health Services Pharmacy

In the Health Services Center there is a Pharmacy, licensed by the State of Rhode Island and staffed by registered pharmacists. All of this information can be found on their website: https://web.uri.edu/healthservices/medical-care/pharmacy-services/ 

The Pharmacy offers:

• Low to no cost OTC (over-the-counter) medications

• Students are not required to fill their prescriptions at URI HS Pharmacy

• We do not accept any 3rd party Prescription insurance except for URI Student Insurance

• Our Rx prices are very competitive with most prescription insurance copays ranging from $0 to $15 in most cases. A receipt is generated for each Rx for private insurance reimbursement.

• We do work with local retail pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens and Green Line Apothecary) for our non-formulary items and Rx insurance needs. Please contact our pharmacy team for assistance.

• Prescription delivery services are also available.

• Payment is expected at time of service, via cash, check, VISA/MasterCard/Discover and RAM Card.